


After The Fall

by zzoaozz



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 10:23:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 43,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/773116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zzoaozz/pseuds/zzoaozz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naraku is finally defeated and the Shikon disappeared along with those near it.  In it's aftermath  the survivors must pick up what is left of themselves and build a new life in a world where everything has been changed forever.   Then just when things are falling into a pattern, some of the missing return.  This is a long complicated tale of relationships, hurt and comfort, and family ties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Miroku's Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This was written prior to the completion of the manga or anime series. It was a plausible projected ending at the time. Since it was written the series has ended in a different manor and a few things have been revealed that make some of the back story non-cannon.

Miroku fell forward landing hard on the packed dirt of the path. The new abrasions on his shins barely registered over the throbbing of his head and the agony in his hand. Sharp pains streaked outward like errant bolts of lightning from the air void. His right hand was balled into a dist and clutched to his chest. He could feel the hot wet stain on the cloth covering it spreading rapidly. He wondered if this was it, if he was going to be destroyed by the curse like his father and grandfather before him swallowed along with everything around him into the emptiness of nothing.

He gathered himself and lurched back to his feet wishing fervently that he could see. The head wound he had taken from Kagura's attack was bleeding profusely and the blood running into his eyes. The poison from Naraku's deadly insects was taking its toll as well. He was very aware of the fact that his reserves were almost gone. By all rights, the monk knew that he should already be dead.

He had opened the wind tunnel in spite of Inuyasha's warning and Sango's shouted order to stop. The black hole had pulled in dozens of the dead samurai before the bugs had swarmed around him making kamikaze dives into the opening stinging as they went. Then, Kagura had cast her wind blades. The air rip had drawn them straight towards him at incredible speed. He had pulled the sealing beads across it, but not in time. The last crescent shaped blade had struck him a glancing blow knocking him to the ground and slicing the slin above his brow as it bounced off his skull. Then Naraku had appeared, boiling up in a cloud of black miasma from the crevasse that ran parallel to the path.

The others had come running to his aid trying to lift him to his feet, but he had screamed at them like a madman insisting that they leave him and follow Naraku. They did so only after he had snatched a dagger from Sango's boot and held it to his throat threatening his own life if they abandoned the pursuit for his sake. Sango had hissed between her teeth that she would never forgive him and that had torn right through his soul but he merely smiled and pressed the blade closer drawing a thin bead of blood where the tip sat under his ear. He had known then that he was running out of time and they might never be this close again. He could not let them give up and even more than that, he could not let them be pulled in when the curse took him at long last.

Once they were out of sight he pushed himself up on trembling legs with the help of his staff and began following along the path that ran beside the cliff. He had nothing left but his pride and a burning need to Know Naraku was dead once and for all, burning in Hell where he belonged. It was that need that placed one foot in front of the other, that pride that forced him to drag himself back up each time he fell.

He laughed, the sound startling him and breaking the post battle silence.

He stumbled again and felt himself start to slide. He scrabbled for any handhold in the loose rock but was unable to find any purchase. He felt a strange lassitude sweep over him as he tumbled out into open space. He knew with certainty that he was going to die. He closed his eyes and laughed again. He had been worried all this time and come so far for this? He smiled and closed his eyes as the wind sang around him.

His only regret was that there would be no heir to carry on in his quest should Kagome and Inuyasha fail.


	2. Sesshoumaru's Choices

Naraku lunged forward towards Sesshoumaru driving his own shoulder farther down the youkai lord's blade, until they were only inches apart. He reached up and possessively traced the thin lips of his opponent with his thumb chuckling in delight when amber eyes widened in shock and fury at his audacity. Naraku leaned in closer rubbing his cheek against Sesshoumaru's paler flesh delighting in the revulsion he could clearly smell. He found himself immensely pleased that in spite of the distaste, he did not flinch away from his touch.

He whispered in his ear as intimately as a lover, "You said that human child means nothing to you, my lovely Sesshoumaru-sama. Then you will not mind if I give her to Kanna." He looked away toward the path winding up the side of the steep cliff.

The demon followed his gaze and saw the ghostly detachment moving steadily toward Rin. The human child was frightened and backing away towards the edge of the cliff. His keen ears heard the child whimper his name. Jaken brandished his staff and stepped in front of her protectively.

Kanna merely looked past the toad youkai to the other girl as if he did not even exist. A white bolt shot from Kanna's mirror and sent him slamming into the stone ledge. He heard the peculiar wet thud that Jaken always made when you threw him against something. Rin screamed his name and stopped, trembling on the edge of the embankment.

Kanna raised the small, white-framed mirror and a second, powerful bolt of energy shot out hitting the human girl squarely in the chest lifting her up into the air and flinging her back. He smelled burning human flesh and saw her body go limp before plummeting straight down toward the stone bottom of the gorge.

If he did nothing, she would die, assuming she was not already dead. If he went to her, Naraku would escape unpunished and with the knowledge that the child could be used as a weapon against him. He felt rage burn through his body. A crimson haze separated him from the world as his eyes flashed red. He could smell her blood even above the pervasive scent of Naraku. There was no choice for him at all and he resented that to the core of his being. The hate that burned in him for the vile hanyou grew like a wildfire in a drought. He roared in mindless rage not even hearing Naraku's triumphant laugh.

He wrenched the sword free dropping it into its sheath even as he ran toward her leaping into the air and becoming a fiery ball of silver light. He caught her less than five feet from the rocky bottom. She felt heavy and absolutely lifeless against his chest. He roared again sending the few birds and animals that had not already left the battlefield fleeing for safety. Before he could turn, Naraku's mocking voice washed over him.

"Ah, my beautiful youkai prince, what a good and loving father you would make; but I think that it is too late for your precious pet. Do not grieve too much. Your flesh, as well as your youkai power, will belong to me very soon and I would not wish to see it marred by tears unless of course I am the sole cause of your pain." His evil cackle hung in the air long after he disappeared in a cloud of miasma.

Sesshoumaru dropped to the ground as if all the energy had drained from him at once. He balanced the child across his lap and brushed the hair back from her face. He leaned closer holding his breath, listening for her heartbeat. He closed his eyes and sighed with relief. Her heart was strong, a little irregular, but strong. Her breathing was labored but there was no smell of blood on her breath to indicate internal injuries.

He carefully cut away the charred silk of her kimono with his claws. A circular area the size of his spread hand was blackened and blistered. The burn was very bad, but not immediately fatal. If she had not fallen, if the pure energy of stolen souls had held her pinned for even a few moments longer, she would have been burned away to ashes.

He heard a dismayed shout and turned to see Jaken running towards them. The toad youkai was covered in dust and debris. He wondered idly how he had made it down the cliff side so quickly without Aa and Un, probably rolled from the looks of it.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is Rin..."

"She's alive."

Jaken actually sighed with relief. He peered down at the human girl and rested his hand on her forehead briefly. "She's kind of warm, we need to get that burn cleaned out quick before the wound gets fevered." He groaned as he realized he had just given his master an order. He dropped to his hands and knees prepared to grovel.

Sesshoumaru cut him off before he could begin. "Hai, we should get her home. You go to that hanyou, Henenji. Bring back whatever healing herbs that she needs."

Jaken leaped to his feet and bowed deeply. He started to turn when the deep, silky voice froze him in place.

"Oh and Jaken..."

"Y...yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"For your sake, hurry."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken scrambled away with surprising speed for someone so short.

Sesshoumaru rose cradling the girl in his single arm. He caught Aa and Un's scent and headed toward the animal. With painstaking care, he laid the child across the saddle arranging his white fur under her to cushion the burn then wrapping it firmly around her. He was no stranger to battle wounds. He knew that she could still die of shock or wound fever and there could be injuries that he could not see or smell.

He had seen her dead once before and used Tensaiga to bring her back. He had no idea if it would work a second time especially now that it had become an offensive weapon able to carry his foes right into Hell or at least the parts of them that mattered. The thought of her lying there with her trusting brown eyes so cold and empty hit him like a punch in the stomach. If she died, everything would go back to the way it was before.

He realized that he did not want that to happen. He was not the same youkai he had been before Tensaiga had taken it upon itself to save his life, before Rin had smiled at him with all her innocence, joy, and a perfect trust shining in her face. He reached up and touched her cheek gently.

"I am sorry, Rin. I should never have brought you with me. I should have found a human mother and father for you. You deserved better." He nearly jumped when Rin whispered his name and groped for his hand. He caught her tiny hand and wrapped his own long fingers around it. "I am here, Rin. You are safe." She sighed his name again and smiled, a fat tear slipping from beneath her closed eyelid.

He looked at her in silent wonder for a moment. Aa and Un groaned and turned both heads to look at the child. One rubbed its cheek against hers as the other stared almost defiantly at him. Even the beast loved the girl. His eyes widened at the strange thought.

He recalled Jaken asking if he was going to abandon Rin to Naraku, the way time had slowed to nothing as he saw Kohaku's sickle rise above the child's body, Inuyasha's human girl cradling the child assuring him that she was just unconscious begging for the boy's life, Rin cradled in his arm asleep after risking her life to get the century flower for Jaken. Jaken loved the child, the dragon mount loved her, and no matter how he lied to others or to himself, he loved Rin. She had somehow touched them all, made herself part of their lives, joined them together with invisible bonds that not even he could sever.

He was shaken from his reverie by a surge of pure power that could only be the Shikon No Tama being rejoined. He frowned annoyed at himself for daydreaming when Rin was in danger. He turned and led the dragon demon quickly up the steep path alongside the ravine.

The trip seemed to take forever but the cross winds in the canyon made it far too dangerous to fly. When they reached the rim at last, he gazed out over a battlefield littered with the remains of long dead corpses and lesser youkai. The ground was scorched and the air reeked of both fresh blood and the zombies Kagura had raised. None of Inuyasha's people were here nor Kouga's pack, though he could smell their spilled blood. He walked through the carnage oblivious to the gore using all his youkai senses to scout for potential enemies.

Sesshoumaru felt the sudden explosion of evil youkai energy a short distance to the Northeast and the stench of Naraku hanging in the air changed to the smell of death. A brilliant light blotted out the sun for a moment and the blast winds lashed outward in an arc flattening trees and blowing debris before it. He stared toward the explosion letting the wild wind whip his long hair out behind him. Inuyasha or one of his companions had succeeded at last. He felt a surge of anger that he had been denied the final blow to the bastard. The feeling faded the moment he looked up at the injured human child. Rin was alive.

He walked forward ignoring the strange glow in the sky and the rhythmic pulse of incredible power. As far as he was concerned, Inuyasha could claim the victory and do whatever he wanted with the Shikon No Tama. It was enough to know that Naraku had paid for the liberties he had taken, for stealing what belonged to him, and for having the nerve to lust after him. He snorted in disgust, as if he, Sesshoumaru, would lower himself enough to pollute his body with anyone or anything unworthy of him.

He turned toward the western lands, towards his home, and followed the trail keeping close to the edge of the gulch and watching for any signs of youkai drawn by the smell of blood and violence. He had just made it out of the heavily wooded area and was about to climb into Aa and Un's saddle when he heard a cry of pain. Scanning the trail ahead of him, he saw someone stumble over the edge of the cliff. There was a strong odor of blood and poison and an oddly flat sounding laugh. He recognized the blood scent, Inuyasha's companion, the monk. Something had changed in his scent since the last time that he had seen the human, something important that stood out even over the despair and the scent of illness. Before he thought about his actions, he had raced forward and leaped over the edge. He caught the human effortlessly and only then wondered why.


	3. The Wounded

Miroku felt an endless moment of freedom then his fall was abruptly arrested by something that seized him around the waist and bore him upward. His eyes flew open and he found himself staring into golden eyes framed in silver hair. His first thought was that Inuyasha had come back for him then he took in the face holding those eyes, finely arched brows, blue crescent moon on the forehead, coldly perfect features, pointed ears that were more elven than canine. Sesshoumaru was holding him, had rescued him. He laughed again. He must be delusional now.

He raised his hand and saw that his sleeve and the prayer beads were soaked in blood and knew that the spell of the beads was failing rapidly. He reached toward the youkai imploringly. "Get away, get away before you all die, the void is ripping!"

Instead of looking afraid, Sesshoumaru lifted him up across his shoulder and carried him to where his strange reptilian beast waited impatiently. Miroku saw a small fur wrapped figure lying across its back as Sesshoumaru lifted him up behind it. It took his foggy mind a moment to identify Rin. He struggled to sit up and failed. "Is she..."

"She's alive, but hurt. You also are injured and poisoned as well, so lie down and be still."

"I can't, the void is tearing! It will swallow everything! You have to get away from me!"

To his amazement, the youkai lord caught his flailing hand and pulled the beads and cloth away. He closed his eyes and prepared to die.

"Look." The voice was insistent but not angry or even annoyed.

He opened his eyes hesitantly and obeyed. Where the void should have been was a ragged bleeding hole that went entirely through his hand.

"Your smell is different now than it was before Naraku died."

"Naraku is..." He wanted to say something, but all that came out was a strangled sound that was half sob and half laugh. He bowed his head and let the tears fall.

"If you wake Rin up, I am going to drop you back over the edge."

Miroku controlled the strange mixture of elation and regret with an incredible effort. Sesshoumaru would do just as he said, he had no doubt about it. "Sesshoumaru-sama, why did you rescue me in the first place?"

If the youkai lord answered, the monk did not hear him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Sesshoumaru ignored the human's question and took flight keeping his pace slow enough for Aa and Un to keep up. It seemed to take forever to reach his lands. They touched down in the courtyard of his citadel. He gathered Rin carefully fur and all. Two shadows detached themselves from the gathering darkness and ghosted forward silently at his gesture. One lifted the monk and the other led the two headed dragon away towards his stable.

He carried Rin into her own room and laid her gently on her bed. He found a basin of water and a clean cloth. Without waiting to call another servant, he undressed her and cleaned the wound carefully. Rin whimpered and squirmed in pain, but he continued until the blood that flowed from the wound was bright red and carried no scent of dirt or infection.

He wound a piece of white silk lightly around the wound. He did not know anything more to do until Jaken arrived. His head jerked up as he recalled his human stepmother. She had been sick on occasion and his father had called a healer. She had been very old, a bird youkai, but one who healed humans as well as youkai. Her name came to him and he sent a servant to find her. He had no idea if she still lived or not and whether she would come to him if she did. He had managed to alienate most of his father's friends since taking up his duties as western lord. If there was a chance though, he would take it. He left her with a cool cloth on her forehead and went to look in on the monk.

Without any clear orders, the shadow servants had carried him to the nearest bedroom which just happened to be Sesshoumaru's own. He frowned and stared at the young male. He was breathing in short gasps and covered in a sheen of sweat. He looked very pale especially against the black velvet of his blankets. He was feverish and shivered violently. Sighing in annoyance, the youkai went about getting the monk undressed and cleaned up then pulled the covers over him. He wondered why he had saved the human. Had he really changed so much?

A scrabbling sound from one of the high windows above the hall caught his attention. He looked up in time to see a small, silvery-blue falcon sail down to land lightly before him. The bird's form glowed brightly and rippled to become the healer kneeling respectfully before him.

Zhashia looked like a very pale, very slender human girl of eight or so. Her hair was the same color as her feathers, more blue than silver and striped here and there with black bars. She looked back up at him with intelligent, silver eyes. Then straightened.

"Injured?"

He remembered her terse manner now. "This way, there are two, both human." He described both their injuries.

"The male, where?"

He led her to where the monk rested. She held both hands over the prone form and closed her eyes. He could see waves of energy flow out of her then drift down to enter the human through his nose and mouth. His chest rose sharply as the youkai spirit invaded his body. Sesshoumaru's nostrils flared as the acrid odor of the poison grew stronger, almost overwhelming his youkai senses. The human was sweating more profusely now, his breathing, too, had grown ragged. He began to thrash from side to side.

"Hold him."

The youkai lord's brow rose at the tone of command, but he stepped up and caught the human's left shoulder pressing him down into the feather mattress and sat on the side of the bed leaning across his chest and using his weight to hold him pinned down. He felt the human tense then relax under him. His skin was fiery hot and strangely soft to his touch.

He found himself staring at his the way his claws just barely dimpled the flesh. Humans were so delicate, fragile creatures that would break easily. They should die out as a race, there was no reason behind their tenacity. Youkai, the weather, their wars and intrigues, hunger, and even wild animals destroyed huge numbers of the creatures every day, yet still they survived and bred and spread across the world like a disease.

He felt the labored breathing slow as the smell of poison gradually left his body. The human's eyelids fluttered open. Sesshoumaru stared in fascination as silver pools of youki floated on the dark eyes. He saw fear in their depths and thought at first it was directed at him, but then the human reached up weakly and touched his hand grasping it exactly the same way Rin did for comfort.

He stared as he saw his hand respond of its own accord turning to grip the human's squeezing carefully. His eyes flicked back to the monk, the fear was gone. The human trusted him, just like Rin trusted him. He was being filled with a poisonous youkai aura to force out the weaker venom. He was being held down by a youkai that hated humans, had tried to kill his friend on numerous occasions, and held him in absolute contempt. He had to be in terrible pain as well, but in spite of all that, he trusted him. Sesshoumaru saw silvery tendrils of mist curl out of the boy's mouth and nostrils to drift away into the shadows of the room. The eyes drifted closed and the human sighed in relief.

He stood up abruptly and glared at the human hand that still held his firmly. He shook it off and turned to the healer scowling. He could feel anger rising in him, though he was not entirely sure whom he was angry with.

Zhashia looked back at him not the least intimidated. "Head will wait. Take me to the girl."

The healer took a considerably longer time with Rin. She cleaned the wound more thoroughly scrubbing away the burned skin with a rough cloth. Tears spilled from the child's eyes even though she was unconscious. Sesshoumaru found that he had to look away.

He was actually relieved to catch Jaken's scent and hear him scrambling through the hallways. He stepped out to meet him and caught a second scent. The huge hanyou, Jeninji had come with him. He was carrying a large sack over his shoulder that was absolutely bulging with herbs.

Sesshoumaru never got a chance to question his presence. Zhashia called the hanyou by name in a voice that brooked no disobedience. In a few moments, the two were combining herbs and more obscure items and covering the burned area with a foul smelling poultice.

The youkai lord glared down at his servant. Jaken sweated profusely and groveled. He explained in a trembling voice that the hanyou had followed of his own accord as soon as he heard Rin's name ignoring him when he told him to give him the herbs and go away. Sesshoumaru cut him off with a gesture then walked away.

He stalked back to his own room and had slammed the heavy wooden door behind him before he recalled that his room was already occupied. He felt the warm tingle of poison rushing to his claws and growled low in his throat. He should kill the human quickly and cleanly right now and have done with the whole matter. He bared his fangs and stepped up to the bed raising his hand with two fingers extended and glowing an eerie green color.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" The human's voice was weak and rough from the poisons. "I can't see."

The youkai's hand dropped and the glow faded as his expression smoothed over and his anger melted away. "Open your eyes."

Miroku obeyed blinking against the sudden light. His throat felt as though it had been shredded and every inch of his body hurt. The blur of colors and lights separated and came slowly into focus. Sesshoumaru stood beside the bed looking down on him without expression.

He took a moment to assess his position. He was in a bed, a real bed, raised on legs above the floor in the western style. There was a soft mattress beneath him and he lay between silk sheets. Heavy velvet blankets covered him. They were black like the curtains hanging from the bed frame. The only person he knew who could command such luxury was the youkai lord himself, so he could surmise that he was in Sesshoumaru's domicile probably in his own bed.

"Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru-sama. You saved my life." The youkai did not reply so he decided to push on. "How is Rin?"

"The healer is with her now."

"What about the others? Kagome, Sango, and Inuyasha, are they alive?"

"I don't know. I know Naraku is dead and that damned jewel was joined."

"You turned away from the final battle, from your revenge on Naraku, to save Rin and I?"

Sesshoumaru winced at the naked amazement and admiration in the human's voice. "I did not. I left because..."

He trailed off. He was not sure why he had chosen Rin over his revenge and he had even less of an idea why he had rescued the other human.

"It's all right, Sesshoumaru-sama. I won't tell anyone that you committed an act of selfless compassion towards two lowly humans."

The youkai's brows rose. The human's expression was serious, but his voice was full of suppressed mirth. He was actually teasing Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. He looked at the human wide eyed. There was even a smile playing at the corner of the young man's mouth.

"Ah, has no one ever teased you before Sesshoumaru-sama? I meant no disrespect, Taisama. I am truly grateful, no matter what your reasons for saving me."

Sesshoumaru frowned at him unsure as to whether he should be upset or not.

"Are you angry?"

The monk's tone of voice sounded just like Rin's when she was afraid that he was angry with her, half fearful, half cajoling. His irritation slipped away as quickly as it always did with her.

"No."

The monk actually sighed in relief and smiled. "You're a hard man to read, Sesshoumaru-sama. I was afraid I had offended you."

"No."

"Is this your room, am I taking up your bed? I should go and not impose on your hospitality any longer."

"Lie still, the healer used her own youki to burn away the Saimyoushou venom. Either one alone is enough to kill you. Your lungs are severely weakened."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Thank you."

Sesshoumaru frowned as the dark lashes drifted down over rich brown eyes. He sighed and walked out on his balcony. His fortress spread out below him. He could see the inner courtyard from his vantage point. It was an absolute riot of flowers and plant life.


	4. Rin's Garden

He had indulged Rin's love of flowers and allowed her to plant anything she wanted anywhere she liked. So now his courtyard looked like a fragrant multi-colored jungle. He had instructed his shadow servants to construct winding walkways through the vegetation and install small streams and ponds full of koi and frogs. She had even managed to come up with water lilies and lotus flowers to plant in the water.

Though he had never spoken of it to anyone and would deny it if asked, the garden had become his sanctuary. He often sat on one of the decorative benches hidden from the rest of the world and meditated allowing the quiet sounds of insects and frogs and the heady scents to overwhelm his senses and erase the outside world from him mind for just a little while. It was an indulgence he would not have allowed himself before Rin.

He leaped easily over the balcony and glided down to the garden below. Instead of his usual places, he sought out one of Rin's. She had hollowed out a little grotto underneath an evergreen hedge covered in tiny yellow flowers. She hid from Jaken there fairly frequently. You had to walk through one of the wider streams to reach it then crawl through the narrow gap between two tall clumps of feathergrass. The water hid any direct scent trail and the child had learned from watching him track his enemies that too much scent was as good a disguise as no scent at all so she had run back and forth over every inch of the garden touching everything as much as possible.

He sighed as he dropped to his hands and knees and folded his long body back into the little hollow. Rin had chosen well. A gentle dip in the ground made a comfortable seat and the trunk of the shrub supported his back nicely. The tangled branches just cleared his head. He leaned his head back and stared up at the sky. Rin's scent mixed with smell of the flowers and the water and lulled him into a state of relaxation.

He wondered idly as he watched the water gurgle past if Jaken had any clue how much the child had learned in the three years she had followed him. She knew how to hide and elude most predators, how to read the faintest signs in an enemy or ally's face and body language. She could move as silently as any youkai and had an endurance and surefootedness that far exceeded most. She was not very good with numbers or philosophy, but she was learning to read and write at a pace that satisfied even him.

His let his mind wander to Naraku and the explosion. The light and power had finally faded leaving the world in a cautious silence. He had expected Inuyasha and his lot to trail him back to his lair. He would know that he had taken the monk and that he was injured. He would not know why, he really was not the brightest candle in the holder. He would assume something utterly foolish, probably that he intended to hold him hostage or something. He snorted softly.

Even if he could not track worth a damn, the halfbreed should be able to find his lair. His youkai aura hung so heavily over the entire place that even the most ungifted of humans sensed it and felt uncomfortable or even sick. Only those who lived in its presence constantly were unaffected and he made sure that those who met that criteria remained limited to Rin and Jaken. Of course Inuyasha would be immune, he was a blood relative as much as it annoyed him to admit it, but even he should sense it.

So where was he and why did he feel as if he had left something important behind?


	5. The Lord's Room

Only when true darkness fell did he return to the castle. As he had expected, Jaken was in a state of panic. He slipped past him without a word and checked first on Rin. The child looked much better already. Her color was returning to normal and her breathing was normal. He brushed his hand gently across her forehead. She was warm but not truly feverish. He stroked her hair absently and removed the ribbon holding her ponytail with a care that would have surprised anyone but Rin and Jaken. He turned and saw the toad waiting nervously beside the door.

"What?"

"Er, um, the healer and the hanyou plan to stay until Rin's condition improves. Should I prepare rooms for them?"

"Yes. Give them the first two guest rooms. And Jaken, have Father's old room readied for me."

"What! You're giving up your room to that human?" The toad looked shocked and took on a peculiar gray color that Sesshoumaru found fascinating.

"Now."

The toad bowed repeatedly spewing apologies for a moment then scrambled away.

Sesshoumaru rose and walked out into the hallway where he found himself staring at his own door. He opened it quietly and peeked inside. The human was caught in the grips of a nightmare. He struggled silently against whatever dream opponent tormented him. He glided over then perched lightly on the side of the bed and watched the spectacle with open curiosity. He reached down and laid his hand gently on the human's bare shoulder, just as he had before when the healer wanted him held still. As before, the monk seemed to take some comfort from the touch. His struggles and fear scent faded into a more peaceful expression almost immediately. A strange smirk spread across his face.

Sesshoumaru leaned in closer engrossed in his changing expressions. He was so intent on his observations that he actually jumped when the monk's hand caressed his rear. He felt his jaw drop open. The hand moved languidly upward to his waist then back down to his thigh.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" His growl caused Miroku's eyes to fly open.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama, forgive this poor confused monk, I was dreaming and did not realize what my hand was doing. I am terribly sorry."

"Then why is your hand still rubbing my ass?"

The monk laughed nervously and pulled the offending hand away with its mate.

Miroku looked desperately for a way to change the subject and avoid being torn to shreds. It was surprisingly hard to do when his mind refused to tear itself away from the way the youkai's firm bottom and muscular thigh had felt beneath the smooth silk of his kimono. His hand twitched and jerked back toward the tempting target but could no longer reach it's prey.

His eyes caught a flash of color in the long, silver hair. "Um, Sesshoumaru-sama, you have flower petals in your hair." He reached up and plucked a blossom from the long tresses. His voice dropped into a low seductive purr. "Have you been rolling in the flowers with someone else?"

His breath caught as Sesshoumaru's pale cheeks flushed red. His groping had not embarrassed the youkai lord, but a tiny, yellow flower did. The youkai was so beautiful that it was easy to forget how dangerous he was. Without consciously thinking about it, he reached up again and ran his fingers boldly through the silky mass loosening a few more stray petals and a small round leaf.

Sesshoumaru stared at the human. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and wondered why he was blushing and why he could not seem to move. It was none of the human's business if he had something in his hair, he had no right to touch a youkai lord with such familiarity, and what the Hell did he mean about rolling in the flowers with someone else? He opened his mouth to say something but never got the chance.

The monk's lips closed over his. Sesshoumaru could see his own shock clearly mirrored in the brown eyes that were only inches away from his own. They remained like that for an endless moment, frozen in place. The human recovered first leaning up and burying his hand deeper in the silky hair to pull the youkai's head even closer deepening the kiss.

Sesshoumaru's mind was in total chaos. He did not resist as Miroku's tongue slipped into his mouth gliding curiously over his fangs and sliding along his own tongue. 'Why am I letting this happen? Why is he kissing me? He smells so good.' He pushed back against the human's lips tasting him. The memory of a hand grasping his returned unbidden. He could see the way his claws made tiny indentions in the flesh. He could imagine how the soft skin would feel against his own hide, how it would taste to run his tongue across it, how easily his fangs would sink into his shoulder as he took him, made him his... He gasped and jerked back as the unwelcome thought sent a wave of desire racing through him.

Miroku tensed as he felt Sesshoumaru pull away. By the time he could get his eyes to focus properly, the youkai was across the room pressed against the wall. He felt a suicidal urge to laugh. The cool, collected, unflappable prince looked absolutely terrified. His hair was mussed up, he was breathing heavily, and his eyes were huge and a little glazed looking. His pale face was flushed and he was staring at him as if he were a poisonous snake coiled to strike.

He would have been certain that his uncontrollable libido had just signed his death warrant if it were not for the fact that he had felt something change just in the moment before Sesshoumaru had leaped away. The youkai had suddenly relaxed into his touch and responded to his kiss. He had seen the gorgeous eyes drift closed. For just a moment, the youkai had wanted him.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was horribly weak, but he could stand. He took a few slow trembling steps toward Sesshoumaru then had to stop as the room began to spin. He felt himself starting to fall, but before he could even cry out the youkai was there. His arm was wrapped firmly around his waist and Miroku could not resist tempting fate.

He wrapped his arms around his neck and whispered in his pointed ear. "You are so beautiful, Sesshoumaru-sama. If only you could bear my child"

The monk felt himself being lifted then flung unceremoniously onto the bed. He blinked up at the youkai. His face was as emotionless as ever.

"Sleep, human."

Without another word, Sesshoumaru was gone, closing the door behind him. Miroku stared after him for a long while before settling back into bed. He could still taste the other man and smell him on his skin and in the bedclothes all around him. It had been a long time since he had wanted another man so strongly. He held his bandaged hand up to the candlelight and sighed. He was playing a dangerous game.

He should stop it right here, he was pretty sure that Sesshoumaru would willingly pretend that nothing had ever happened. All he had to do was never mention it. The problem was that he did not want to stop. He closed his eyes and wondered exactly what it was he did want.

The kizaana was gone now, there was nothing left of it but a gaping hole in his hand. He did not have to race against time to either kill Naraku or produce an heir to carry on his quest. He was currently without direction or purpose, something that he had never dealt with before. He was worried about Inuyasha and his friends, but he felt removed from it somehow. He did not know if they were alive or dead and instead of finding out, he was molesting someone who would as soon disembowel him as speak to him.

But that was not really true, he mused. He definitely responded there at the end, and why else would he have looked so adorably frightened. He did not slam the door on his way out either, he wasn't angry. He's confused. No one ever teased him before because no one dared. I'll bet my staff that no one has ever told him was beautiful for the same reason. And I'm pretty damn sure that no one ever dared to come on to him before. He smiled blissfully and let sleep carry him down into the darkness where he did not have to think about anything.

Sesshoumaru paced the length of the unfamiliar room. His hand rose to touch his lips for the hundredth time. The taste of the human's mouth was driving him crazy. He growled deep in his chest and forced himself to be still. He stepped up to the ornate dresser beside the bed and stared into the mirror. The servants had maintained this room with the same care as his own so his image glared back at him undistorted by time or dust.

He knew that he was imposing to look at and far from ugly, but the human had called him beautiful. Jaken had said the same thing once or twice, though never when he thought his master could hear him. Rin told him that he was pretty all the time, but she was a child and thought he was perfect on top of that. He picked up a comb and pulled it through his hair. He had already removed the debris and worked out all the tangles so that the heavy mass hung straight and smooth down his back, but he was too wound up to sleep yet so he combed it again and resumed pacing as he did.

He was still pacing and abusing the hapless comb when dawn came.


	6. Lost In Thought

The healer was already in Rin's room when he went to check up on her shortly after dawn. The horrible smelling dressings had been changed and the child was drinking some even worse smelling brew while the hanyou carefully held her up in a sitting position.

"How is she?"

"Stronger. No infection. No fever. Needs sleep now."

The words were clearly a dismissal for both the hanyou and himself, but Sesshoumaru lingered a moment at the door. "What about that damned monk?"

"Bed three weeks at least more likely four, blood has to rebuild and head injury heal. Lungs have to recover from poison and youki. No travel, nothing strenuous, watch breathing carefully."

He turned and stalked away missing the look of amusement the healer directed after him.

The youkai lord spent most of the day ghosting around his own castle like one of his shadow servants. When his pent up energy became too much to handle, he went hunting. He returned in much better spirits and heavily laden with game for the servants to prepare. He had managed to clear his head enough to consider the situation more clearly.

Obviously the human had been delusional from his head injury. That explained his brazen behavior, and he had allowed him to act so because he was tired and stressed from dealing with Naraku, strangers in his den, and Rin's injury all at once. He had temporarily lost his sanity. He tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his mind that was calling him a liar over and over.

To prove his theory, he decided that he would go speak to the monk. They would both be much clearer and the human would probably think his actions of the night before a fever dream. First though, he would take a long hot soak in the bathhouse. The voice then promptly accused him of stalling. He growled under his breath and it shut up for the moment.

It was dusk when he stood outside his own door. He had found several things that needed doing before he went to see the human. He had been away a long time this last trip out. There were reports to reads and problems to deal with, and the many other duties he had to rely on his minions to handle in his absence.

He realized that he had been standing there rationalizing long enough to make Jaken or one of the guests suspicious. Suspicious of what, his mind questioned pointedly as he looked in both directions like a thief up to no good. He growled again and dug the claws of his right hand into his palm focusing on the bright flash of pain. Without further hesitation, he pushed the door open and strode in.


	7. Introduction

"Sesshoumaru-sama, you came back. I thought you might be avoiding me." That teasing tone was back in the human's voice again but it sounded a little strained.

"The healer says you'll have to stay in bed at least three weeks maybe four."

"Three weeks, I see."

There was a note of despair in the human's voice that made him come closer and peer down and the shadowed figure under the covers. His eyes were red and swollen and he smelled of salt water. "You are crying. Do you hurt? I will get the healer."

"Please don't." The monk caught his hand and held it desperately. "It isn't the kind of hurt that she can help with."

"What do you mean?" He watched confused as more tears spilled down the human's face.

"Yesterday, everything seemed so distant and unreal. I don't know if my friends are alive or dead, my reason for existing is gone, I have my revenge but it isn't what I thought it would be. I just hurt all over inside where the medicine can't reach."

Sesshoumaru understood then, the same thing had happened to Rin the next day after the wolves killed her. She had been in shock and the shock wore off. She looked up from the fish she was eating and started crying, her entire body had shaken with silent sobs for a moment then she had burst out wailing like a wounded animal. It was the first time he heard her voice.

Just as he had then, he sat down beside the human and pulled him up into a tight embrace against his shoulder and held him rocking a little. Like Rin, the silent tears became helpless sobs then slowly faded into harsh breaths against his neck. When he was sure the storm was over, he spoke softly into the human's hair. "You were in shock before, now you're starting to heal and the numbness has worn off. As soon as I am sure Rin will be well, I will find out what happened."

"You promise?"

"Hai."

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"What is your name?"

"Huh? Oh that's right, I don't suppose you've ever heard it before. It's Miroku."

"Miroku, sleep now."

"Thank you again, Sesshoumaru."

The youkai settled the human back in and pulled the covers up around him. Before leaving, he took a damp cloth and wiped the human's face with surprising tenderness. Then he returned to his temporary quarters to pace away another night.


	8. Routine

For Sesshoumaru, the days that followed fell into a routine.

He spent the morning with Rin. She was most alert then before the medicines took effect and chattered cheerfully at him. He did not need to answer her, his presence seemed to be enough. He would watch her eat her breakfast, just light stuff at first then full meals as she grew stronger.

Shortly after he left her, he knew that Jaken would sneak in and spend the afternoon arguing with her or playing some silly game that he complained about the whole time. He would leave them to their feuding and deal with the duties of his position and the day to day affairs of the castle. When he failed to find anything else to keep him occupied he would kill time in the bath house or the library.

Then he would come back to Rin's room bringing her a handful of the flowers she loved so much, or a picture book, or small toy to amuse her. He normally sat with her until the sun was sinkining in the west and her eyes drooping with sleep.

He spent the evening on the hunt, both for food and information. With Naraku gone, youkai were slowly coming out of hiding and pushing and shoving for rank and position. Territories were formed and broken as were alliances and claims laid and refuted on a daily basis. Few dared tread on his toes and after one or two of the brave ones were dealt with, the others kept their proper place. There was no word, not even a rumour of his brother's whereabouts.

The last thing he did each night was talk to the monk. Miroku did most of the talking, telling him about how he come to be cursed with the air void, his quest to destroy Naraku, and his journey with Inuyasha and his group. He did not cry again, but he was still severely depressed. He seemed much happier when Sesshoumaru was with him.

He used that to justify his visits to himself, and thus far no one else had dared remark on them. He was careful to stay far enough away to keep the monk's wandering hands from roaming anywhere they should not be, the occasional flirting and the probing questions about himself, he just ignored.

Their visits were short at first but soon stretched into the wee hours of the night. When the human was yawning too often to talk, Sesshoumaru would force himself to leave. Then he would spend the night pacing and growling under his breath. It was on the ninth day of this routine that the healer pronounced Rin out of danger and left shooing Heninji out the door with her.


	9. The Site

That night was worse than the ones before. He had to fight the urge to systematically destroy everything in the room. His normal growl was a constant rumbling snarl and his eyes glared back in baleful crimson from the mirror. He was just about to smash the expensive glass when there was a timid knock and the door swung hesitantly open.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He stopped and glared at Jaken.

"My Lord, is everything all right. I heard you growl and saw that you were still up. Forgive this Jaken, but I was worried for Sesshoumaru-sama with all this going on. You haven't slept at all since this happened. I know that it must be disturbing to you to have to deal with humans and hanyou like this. Is there anything this humble Jaken can do?"

His minion would probably have fainted dead away if he knew exactly how much one particular human had 'disturbed' him. He was not going to sleep tonight, that seemed certain. He might as well do something.

"I need to know what happened. If anyone else killed the hanyou, it is family business. If he plans on using that blasted jewel to attack me, I'll strike first. Either way, I will have answers." With his course decided, the youkai wasted no time pulling on his armour and belting on his swords.

Jaken's response stopped him in his tracks. "Maybe he'll use it to become a full demon as he has boasted in the past. He might think the puny powers of the Shikon no Tama might make him a match for you, the great..."

Sesshoumaru tuned out the rest of the toad's tirade and considered what he would do if Inuyasha did become a full demon. He had told himself and anyone else who asked that the reason he hated his brother was that he was a hanyou, a blight on the family bloodline. If he became a full youkai, did that not change everything, did that not remove his reason for hating his brother? If he had told the truth about his reasons, he should welcome the newborn youkai back into the family with open arms. He closed his eyes pressing his thumb and forefinger into the corners.

When he opened his eyes, Jaken was gawking at him with his mouth open.

"What?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama? Is everything okay, you looked..."

"I am fine. You stay here."

With that his master was gone leaping out the open balcony door so fast that he was little more than a blur even to Jaken's keen eyesight. The toad youkai stared after him for some time. He had looked incredibly sad for a moment when he closed his eyes. His bulbous eyes narrowed to slits. Sesshoumaru-sama had been acting truly odd and he had an idea where he could find the reasons. He turned and strode down the long hallway tapping the staff of heads on the wooden floor as he went.

Sesshoumaru stood in the middle of the circle of destruction and turned slowly. They had stood here. Inuyasha's trail was broken and erratic becoming more and tainted with the smell of fresh blood. He had been fighting, leaping often and being repelled forcefully before running right back into the enemy. The scars of Tetsaiga's Kaze No Kize scored the ground in numerous places. The girl had fired many arrows heavily charged with her pure miko magic. Only a few shafts stuck up from the ground, so most of them had found their mark. It was she who last held the jewel.

There was a lot of blood spoor but no bodies alive or dead. There was no trail of any kind leading away from the area and no trace of the jewel or its shards either. There was no scent of death other than Naraku and his detachments and the old death smell of the undead miko, apparently she had returned tot he dust of which she was made. Whatever had happened to Inuyasha's group and the wolf clan must have also taken the brat Kohaku.

He frowned and walked the perimeter one last time. He did not really expect to find anything he had missed and he was not disappointed. He took to the air levitating just above the treetops. They were gone, vanished off the face of the earth as if they had never existed. Only their scent trails recalled their presence.

He supposed that they might have been teleported somehow and would show up elsewhere. That had happened to him when Tensaiga saved his life from the Kaze no Kize. He found himself hoping that was the case. The thought of never fighting with Inuyasha again was surprisingly depressing.

He reached his own lands far faster than last time and landed quietly in the garden. He sat on the lush grass beside one of the pools and watched the moon's reflection dance across its surface.


	10. Out of Bed

After Jaken questioned him ruthlessly about Sesshoumaru's strange behavior, Miroku tried to go back to sleep, but rest eluded him. Finally, he climbed out of bed and forced his shaky legs to carry him to the wardrobe against the wall. He leaned heavily against it and peered in at the selection of elegant garments in rich silks and velvets. He chuckled softly, the fierce youkai lord was a sensualist.

His clothing was nowhere to be seen. He hesitated a moment then pulled out a few articles that looked like they might come close to fitting. He pulled on a pair of black silk trousers and a tunic of purple velvet stopping often to catch his breath. When he was finished, he turned to the mirror. They were far too long. He could not help laughing at his reflection. He found a golden sash in the dresser that looked similar to the one Sesshoumaru wore and belted it around his waist. It helped a little. He still had to roll the pant legs up and secure them with hair ties that he found on the dresser. The wide draped sleeves hung nearly to his knees. He hesitated for a moment before using Sesshoumaru's ivory backed hairbrush then shrugged and began working the tangles out of his hair. 'Might as well be hung for a wolf as a puppy.' he thought.

After dressing, the human slipped out of his room and wandered down the hall. He heard Rin whimper softly and pushed her door open. The child looked as frail as a bird lying in her big bed. He walked over and sat beside her brushing her hair back from her brow. Her eyes opened slowly and he found himself smiling gently into huge, innocent, brown eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you Rin-chan. How are you feeling?"

"It hurts, but not as bad as before. Who are you? Why are you here? Where is Sesshoumaru-sama? Why are you wearing his clothes?"

Miroku smiled warmly at the barrage of questions. "Let's see, first question first. My name is Miroku. I am a humble monk. I am here because I was hurt like you. Sesshoumaru-sama saved me. He left earlier to check out the battle site and see what happened to my companions and the Shikon No Tama. I am wearing his clothes because I can't seem to locate my own."

"If Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like them, he probably threw them away. He'll get you some nice clothes he likes brought to you by the servants in the morning."

"He will, will he?"

"Hai, that's what happened with me. Sesshoumaru-sama must be going to keep Miroku-sama. I'm glad. Jaken-sama is so boring and Sesshoumaru-sama needs someone to talk to who's a grown up and not an idiot like Jaken-sama."

The monk was surprised to hear such insight from a girl Rin's age. He judged her to be nine or maybe ten from her size. He laughed at her comment about Jaken even as he studied her face closely. He wondered what kind of child could capture the cold, merciless lord's heart and change him so much in such a relatively short time.

"Do you love Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"W...What?" Miroku gaped at the child.

"I love Sesshoumaru-sama and so does Jaken-sama. You could stay here and love all of us too. Then Sesshoumaru-sama would have someone to be his friend. He could play with you and stuff. Then, he'd be more happy. You smile a lot. I like you."

"I like you too, Rin-chan. I would like to stay with such a pretty, young lady, but I don't know if Sesshoumaru-sama wants me to stay once I'm well. We adults like to make everything more complicated than it really is, you know."

"Hai." Rin sighed with such exasperation that he could not help laughing out loud.

"Go back to sleep, Rin-chan, and tomorrow you can tell me how you came to be traveling with Sesshoumaru and Jaken, okay?"

"Okay, Miroku-sama."

He was still chuckling softly as he tucked her in and quietly slipped back into the hallway. He pushed open a large arched doorway and found himself in a garden overflowing with the strangest assortment of plants and flowers he had ever seen. The place had a wild, primal aura about it that made him feel like an intruder in a sacred place. He walked with what was almost reverence down a winding flagstone path following the course of a small creek. A bush covered in small, yellow flowers caught his eye.

He smiled as he touched the tiny flowers gently. Golden petals shook loose and drifted away on the wind. He gazed after them a moment then continued on down the trail stopping now and then to admire some strange or beautiful bloom. He was looking at a clump of tall orange lilies when the sound of small waterfall caught his ears.   
He followed the noise to larger creek dammed up with a makeshift stone wall that he would bet his last coin had been built by a certain human girl. The creek widened into a very small pond behind the wall. He walked along the pond listening to the frogs and watching the hypnotic rippling of the moonlight on the surface.


	11. Dangerous Grope

He almost jumped out of his skin when a voice from the shadows asked what he was doing up. He turned and saw Sesshoumaru sitting against the trunk of a cherry tree watching him, In the moonlight his eyes glowed like a cat's. Miroku found himself pinned beneath that gaze unable to speak or to look away.

Mercifully, Sesshoumaru broke the spell by taking a long appraising look at his makeshift clothing. "Jaken has ordered some clothing in your size. They will be done by morning."

The words were so much like what Rin had told him that Miroku laughed. He flapped a hand toward the youkai lord as he noticed his frown. "I guess Rin was right about you not liking my clothing, or maybe you just don't like me wearing your clothes." He laughed even harder then cried out as a sharp pain snatched his breath away.

Sesshoumaru was at his elbow and lowering him to the ground before Miroku even saw him move. "You're so fast," he muttered vaguely.

"Idiot, you are not well enough to be out here and certainly not well enough to be laughing your head off at foolishness."

"If I didn't laugh at life's foolishness, I suppose I would have to cry for it. I prefer to laugh, though. People who laugh live longer."

"Keh!"

"You know you sound like your brother when you do that, don't you?" The outraged glare he got for that remark made him start laughing again. His lungs were definitely not up to his sense of humor yet. The laughter turned to ragged coughs.

He felt the youkai lord sit down beside him then he was being pulled against a strong, masculine chest. Lips closed firmly over his and the hand at his wrist moved to pinch his nostrils closed. He opened his mouth to cry out and tried to pull away, but Sesshoumaru blew a long breath into his mouth, then seconds later inhaled deeply drawing the air back out with it. A pleasant tingling warmth filled his chest. Miroku found that he could breath easily once more. He stared in awe at the youkai lord as he exhaled a cloud of silvery mist.

"Naraku's poison was burned away by the healer's youkai energy, but some of that youki remains within your body. If you overexert yourself, it will do as much damage as the poison and do it far more painfully."

"What did you do?"

"I used my own youki to draw what was in your lungs out."

Miroku slid carefully down along the dog demon's torso until he could lie on the cool grass and boldly resting his head on Sesshoumaru's left thigh. He felt him tense for a moment then relax as he chose to ignore his presence.

He stared up at the moon a long while before asking softly, "Did they survive?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a long moment and the monk felt his heart begin to sink in his chest.

"Only that undead miko of Inuyasha's, and Naraku and his lot died at the battle scene. There was a lot of blood and they were all injured except the kitsune and Kohaku. There were no bodies, though, alive or dead and no trace of anyone leaving the site. There was no trace of the jewel either and no sign that it had been destroyed. It's as if the Shikon disappeared and drew them with it wherever it went."

Miroku mulled over the information silently. He caught a windblown strand of silvery hair and twirled it around his finger. They could still be alive then, maybe they were drawn to another place or to another time like Kagome."

"Kagome?"

Miroku decided that it probably did not matter if he told Sesshoumaru their secrets now so he explained briefly about Kagome and the well and her future world. When he was finished, he craned his head around enough to catch the youkai's expression. He appeared to be lost in thought, His eyes were closed and a small frown played around the edges of his lips. It was entirely to much temptation, and Miroku was never one to resist temptation anyway.

Miroku sat up cupping the youkai's cheek and claimed his lips. He felt a rush of heat from the contact point straight to his groin and leaned in pressing his chest against Sesshoumaru's. The youkai's eyes flew open then drifted shut. Miroku felt his taloned hand tangle in the hairs at the nape of his neck and draw him closer.

This time there was no doubt who was in charge. Sesshoumaru's tongue pushed against his possessing his mouth. He lowered the human onto the ground with the weight of his body. A low growl deep in his chest stilled the one brief attempt to reassume dominance. He moved from his mouth over his chin and down to his slender neck.

Miroku felt Sesshoumaru's mouth on his throat, felt the sharp fangs that purposefully grazed the skin over his jugular vein. He had known the youkai lord was a dominate male, but he had not realized what dominance meant in a dog demon. It was eery and exciting at the same time to know that the fangs touching him could rip out his throat effortlessly. He moaned and arched his back throwing his head back wantonly and baring his throat even more.

Sesshoumaru kissed his way down the human's neck to the hollow at the base of his throat then froze as he felt another cough tear its way from his chest. He stood, pulling the human up with him and tossing him over his shoulder. Miroku protested weakly, but Sesshoumaru ignored him and flew up to his own balcony door. He carried him to his bed and laid him down carefully. When Miroku reached for him again, he lightly slapped the hands away.

"You are not well enough. If you move from this bed again, I'll have the servants stand watch over you day and night."

Miroku tried to temporize with the youkai lord, but an occasional smothered cough stole any weight his arguments might have carried. He forgot all about arguing, however, when the demon began to undress him. He concentrated instead on the pale hand as it removed the sash at his waist with a practiced twist. He helped lift the tunic over his head. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow when he came to the hair ties around his ankles. Miroku just shrugged. He felt a moment's shyness as he slipped the pants over his hips and wiggled them off his legs. Sesshoumaru pulled the sheet up over him but folded the heavy blanket neatly at the foot of the bed.

He was going to ask for a goodnight kiss, but then Sesshoumaru unwound the fur that he always wore around his shoulder and draped it carefully over a hook on the wall. He lifted off his armour. Having only one hand hindered him a little but he moved slowly in a way that made the monk certain that the youkai had practiced the action over and over until he succeeded. Miroku felt his admiration increase. Admiration turned to hunger as his sash and tunic followed revealing the sculpted curves and planes of his shoulders and back. Sesshoumaru stripped down to his pants. Miroku sighed in disappointment when it became obvious that he was going to go no farther. The youkai chuckled startling him.

He tried to regain his composure as his benefactor sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots off. He mused aloud as he sat up and let his hand trail up the long smooth back. "I was rescued from certain death by my best friend's brother, his enemy and therefore mine by association. That enemy is one of the most powerful youkai to ever live and definitely the most beautiful. That same enemy hates and despises humans and anything tainted by humans above all else. Yet even so, he keeps a small, human child and cares for and loves her as he would his own child. And now, here I am in my enemy's castle, in his bed, wishing that I were in his arms, that I belonged to him and he to me like that child. I lusted after him because of his beauty, his grace, his intelligence, his nobility, his strange innocence, but now..."

"But now?" Sesshoumaru's voice was low and husky and he did not turn his head. Miroku's hand slipped around his waist undoing the tie that held his pants on. The hand slid below the waistband and just rested there hot as brand against his abdomen.

"...But now, something is changing inside of me. Lust is nothing to this new thing, a candle beside a forest fire. I am thinking very dangerous thoughts, thoughts that at best might cause him to send me away, thoughts that at worst might lead him to tear me to peaces."

"Tell me."

Miroku leaned forward against Sesshoumaru's back and spoke softly against his pointed ear. "I want you, I need you, I think I love you and I'm going to risk everything to have you. I will not give up, I will not back down. No matter how often or how hard you push me away, I'm going to get back up and throw myself at you again."

"You'll get hurt."

"Maybe."

"What makes you think that I would desire a human, a human male at that?"

"You're body says you do, your kiss says you do."

"We're hardly more than strangers."

"That's true."

"We have nothing in common."

"Except that our lives were cursed by Naraku. We were both denied our vengeance by whatever fate brought us together. We both understand what it is like to not dare love someone because our love would put them in mortal danger." Miroku did not miss Sesshoumaru's sharp intake of breath. "We have both been alone for too long. My curse is lifted now. Maybe its too late to find love but I can't, won't believe that. You have always forced yourself to be alone. If you don't let yourself feel, no one can hurt you except yourself. It takes tremendous courage to open yourself up for the first time."

"You presume too much human." Sesshoumaru's voice was cold, dangerous.

"Probably so, but as that is my nature I somehow doubt that I will stop being presumptuous anytime soon in spite of the scowl marring your beautiful face."

"I am not beautiful."

"Yes you are."

"Sleep, you shameless idiot."

"Are you going to stay with me?"

"You're in my damn bed aren't you?"

"Can I stay in it? Forever?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"You didn't say 'no'!"

"I am going to hurt you."

"I might like it."

"Pervert, remove your hand and scoot over before I hit you."

Miroku sighed but pulled his hand back, not before one last caress though. The youkai had the most wonderful stomach flat and toned with smooth perfect skin leading down to where his finger just brushed silky hair. He moved over enough to let Sesshoumaru get comfortable in the huge bed then snuggled up against his side. The older man did not pull away. Miroku smiled but resisted the urge to laugh. His chest was hurting terribly. He wondered how he was going to make it for almost two more weeks. He fell asleep pondering just what Sesshoumaru would look like naked except for his fur wrap.

Sesshoumaru watched him sleep for hours. He was a good bedmate. He did not toss and turn and he did not snore. His breath was a soft rhythmic susurration that blended with his steady heartbeat. The effect was actually very soothing. A short time before dawn, he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

He was still sound asleep when Jaken crept silently into the room to leave Miroku's new clothes. The toad youkai stared at the sight of his beloved master sleeping peacefully, a small smile on his stern lips, and the human monk curled up against him sleeping just as soundly. His beak like mouth twitched up in a smile. Rin was right. The monk might well be just the companion for Sesshoumaru after all. He left the clothes and built up the fire a little setting a kettle on the hearth and sending one of the shadow servants to bring tea and a light breakfast for the human.

Sesshoumaru woke to the feeling of a warm hand moving over his belly. He lay still and let it caress its way downward until he could feel the fingers brushing lightly through his pubic hair. With uncanny speed, he caught the errant limb and held it immobile. There was a soft sigh of dissapointment. 

He tightened his grip until he could feel the delicate bones of the wrist grating together. His voice was a silky hiss. "I can make sure you can't move this little hand at all until you are completely well. Would you like that, pervert?"

"You're no fun." Miroku pouted.

"No fun at all," Sesshoumaru agreed, "until the last of the youkai is out of your body." He raised the hand to his lips and ran his tongue from the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger. "Then, human, I'll show you fun." He smirked as he felt the man shudder against his side and heard his heart speed up.

"You're not fair either."

"I never claimed to be. Now get up and get dressed. If you feel like wandering the gardens in the middle of the night, you can make yourself presentable for breakfast."

"Did I mention mean?"


	12. Settling In

Miroku made his way slowly through the castle stopping now and then to look at some piece of artwork or an expensive looking ornamentation. He was struck with how much wealth and power the Demon Lord must possess to live in such a castle. It was full of graceful white marble columns rising from a black marble floor to the vaulted ceiling Both were shot through with veins of silver and gold. The place was a twisting maze that would suddenly narrow down to a corridor adorned with a single painting in a heavy gilded frame or widen into an alcove with a bench or comfortable chair and an expensive urn filled with a riot of flowers from the garden outside arranged with such a total artlessness that he felt sure they must be Rin's handy work.

He laughed as one corridor opened to a an alcove with huge glazed windows that allowed sunlight to slant in artistically across a menagerie of small carved animals and soldiers that were scattered across the floor in mock battle. An old rag doll any peasant child might have owned and a china doll worth a small fortune and fit for the highest princess sat companionably side by side gazing down on the battlefield. Suspended from the ceiling above the toys was an incredibly intricate lead pane with a colored glass or crystal mosaic. The sunlight shining through it cast a dancing rainbow on the combatants and the mismatched observers. He moved carefully around the toys until he could see the mosaic, a magnificent dog youkai standing atop a mountain with his head thrown back in a triumphant howl. An enormous dragon lay dead under his feet.

At first he thought that it was Sesshoumaru then he saw the differences. The dog demon in the image was more a pale gold than silver, his head longer and his muzzle sharper. The crescent moon on his forehead was closer to the violet of Sesshoumaru's cheek markings than the blue of his moon shaped mark. This had to be his and Inuyasha's father, the great dog demon of the western lands, He sifted through his memory for his name and finally recalled it from his studies, Canis. He looked up at the artfully crafted likeness and spoke aloud.

"Canis-sama, I am Miroku, a humble human monk. I am in love with your eldest son and a friend of your youngest. If your spirit is still out there somewhere, if you can hear me, watch over Inuyasha and bring him back to me and all his companions with him. You would be proud of the man he has become. Watch over Sesshoumaru as well and let him realize that there is no weakness in loving or being loved." The air suddenly felt heavy and the sunlight almost unbearably bright as if his prayers had been heard.

He nearly screamed in a most undignified way when Rin spoke from his elbow. "I talk to Sesshoumaru-sama's papa too. I think he likes to listen when I tell him about all the things me and Sesshoumaru-sama and Jaken-sama do. This is my very favorite place except the garden."

He looked in wonder at the child. She was still dreadfully pale and her chest was swathed in light gauzy bandages, but she was smiling up at the image with no trace of unhappiness or pain. "How long have you been up? Did Sesshoumaru-sama say you could get up yet?"

"Jaken-sama says it's easier to get forgiveness than permission."

"So that's a no, huh?"

"I was bored, I wanted to play."

"Is that your battlefield right there."

"Hai!" She plopped down on the marble floor and began introducing him to her forces and describing the current campaign. He played with her until the sun started to move and shadows began to drift into the corners of the room. His stomach rumbled telling him that it was lunch time. He stood and scooped the child up.

"Come Rin-chan, you can tell me how to get back to our rooms. I'm actually hungry and you should be to."

Rin giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck pointing back the way they had come. He turned to go and found himself face to face with Sesshoumaru. The youkai was standing against one of the white marble columns. He had been so absolutely silent and still that Miroku had not heard him.

"How long have you been there, Sesshoumaru-kun?"

The youkai raised a brow at the familiar suffix then stepped out into the alcove looking up at his father's image then down at the scattered toys.

"Um, Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin's voice was contrite, "I will pick my toys up."

"They've done no harm in the months they've been here, leave them."

Rin grinned up at the youkai, "You knew I was playing here with your papa-sama all along, Sesshoumaru-sama knows everything."

"This Sesshoumaru also knows Rin should still be in bed. " His voice was mild but there was an edge of steel underneath.

"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama. If I am good can Miroku-sama play with me again tomorrow?"

"If he wishes."

She hugged him so tightly he nearly choked, but he could not help smiling anyway. He blinked as her weight lifted from his arms. He looked up at Rin. She had transferred the stranglehold to Sesshoumaru who did not seem to notice. She was cradled against his chest with her head tucked under his chin and chattering excitedly about their games. The fact that the youkai lord did not answer did not deter her in the least. Miroku stood at his side and just looked at them. He was suddenly realizing just what was here before him, within his grasp.

This was the family he always wanted. Well, maybe not the one he had pictured, but a real and true family.

He slipped his arms around the youkai's waist hugging him tightly with Rin snuggled between them. To his surprise, Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed him, just a brief touch but one that promised more than he dared hope for. Rin giggled from her place against his shoulder and Miroku felt himself blush.

"Come." Sesshoumaru led him back through the winding maze of corridors to a massive dining room. He looked at one of the animated shadows and it ghosted away to return with its fellows a short time later laden with food and drink.

Jaken appeared from somewhere and tapped Miroku lightly on the head with his staff. "You still alive, human?"

"Doing fine, better than fine, old timer."

"Hmph, good...wait a minute, what do you mean old?..." He left the toad spluttering and slipped into a padded chair next to Rin.


	13. A Family

The meal passed mostly in silence, but it was a companionable silence. Rin and Jaken fussed back and forth until Sesshoumaru looked blandly at one or the other then they immediately stopped. Miroku realized that they both watched Sesshoumaru's eyes and face for the slightest change in expression. Both were adept at reading his thoughts and feelings there. That was clearly something he also would have to learn.

Jaken reported what little news there was as briefly as possible, not elaborating unless Sesshoumaru raised a brow or frowned. Apparently with Naraku gone and the Shikon missing, the youkai world was in turmoil, but everyone was laying low waiting to see what would happen. There was still no trace of any of the participants in the final battle. The statue of Midoriko in Sango's village had shattered into thousands of pieces as her sould left it releasing all the sleeping youkai in the cave, but apparently they had disintegrated as they emerged past the holy seals he had laid on the cave entranceso long ago.

"I should take those down now."

Jaken looked over at him curiously, "So you really are a monk with spiritual powers, huh? Not just a faker?"

He sighed, "I am a humble monk, just as I have always said. Nothing more and nothing less." He looked up to see three sets of eyes looking at him in frank disbelief. He placed a hand over his heart and looked out from under his lashes. "I am deeply hurt." They weren't buying it. He pouted and looked down at his plate.

Sesshoumaru's voice brought his head up. "Whatever else you are, you are a gifted monk. I can sense your power. It is very different from the two miko's but no less strong. You should leave the cave sealed, I think. The youkai might be gone as reported, but there are other things worse than youkai that breed in such places."

Miroku frowned and looked serious. "You're right Sesshoumaru. We should check it out and refresh the seals if needed."

"When you are well."

"Can I go too?" Rin asked hopefully.

"When you are both well."

"But..."The two human protested in unison.

Sesshoumaru raised an eloquent brow and Rin immediately fell silent. Miroku took the cue and followed suit. He noted for future reference, raised brow means why are you questioning me?"

He and Rin both took a nap after dinner. She begged Sesshoumaru to sleep with him. Sesshoumaru had not said a word but Rin had seen what ever approval she needed in his face somehow and clapped her hands with happiness.

As she curled up in his arms in Sesshoumaru's big bed, she whispered "Goodnight, Papa Miroku."

He felt tears slip down his cheeks. A clawed hand brushed them away and the memory of their love carried him down into a warm, dreamless sleep.

He awoke to an incredible sense of warmth and security. Rin was curled tightly against his chest and a much larger body was pressed against his back. He turned his head and found himself looking up into watchful golden eyes.

"You don't sleep much do you?"

"The older I get, the less I need to sleep or eat."

"Oh? It's the dead opposite for me."

"I noticed."

"Oh did you?"

Miroku rolled over carefully so as not to wake the sleeping child. He ran his hand lightly over the youkai's light cotton robe and up to his shoulder.

"Don't worry, once I'm better I won't sleep nearly as much and neither will you."

"Oh?" Sesshoumaru did not sound convinced.

Miroku slipped the robe from his shoulder and let his hand slip along the smooth skin of his forearm and the muscular biceps to where the arm just ended slightly above the elbow. Sesshoumaru tensed but did not pull away as his fingers ghosted along the remains of the limb. The bottom was warm and pulsed slightly in time to the youkai's heartbeat. Instead of healing over or atrophying like a human's severed limb would do, his arm was still very much alive. He could attach another arm or probably even fetch his own from his father's grave if that was where it had returned after the battle with the living sword, Sounga.

He let his hand slip back up the arm to the strong shoulder, the slender almost delicate neck, the broad well defined chest. He resisted the terrible temptation to brush his hand across his nipples. There was a child in the bed right behind him and he was not about to explain such things to her just yet. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss in the middle of his chest just above his breast bone.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"What for?"

Miroku was pleased to hear the hoarseness in that silky voice. "For giving me a family."

"A family?"

Clearly, Sesshoumaru had not thought about what he had here. Miroku laughed and dropped another gentle kiss at the base of his throat. "You, Rin, even Jaken. You've been a family, probably since Rin came to follow you. You three care about each other, take care of and provide for each other. That's family, that's real love. I never thought I would ever have that kind of love but here you are offering it all to me, everything I've ever dreamed of. I love you. I love Rin-chan, and even Jaken. Thank you for giving me this."

Sesshoumaru shook his head lightly. "You humans are so strange. You go on just like Rin."

He took away the sting of his words though with a kiss, a light brushing of his lips over Miroku's. It was little more than the ghost of a kiss but it sent rivers of flame racing through Miroku's body. Rin chose that moment to stir and he groaned softly. Sesshoumaru chuckled and sat up pulling his robe back into place.


	14. Seduction

Miroku nearly tripped over Jaken and Rin as he rounded the corner on the way to the dining hall. Fortunately, his walks in the garden and around the palace over the last few weeks had restored his strength and balance enough that he was able to execute a fairly impressive jump and avoid hurting anyone. He sighed in annoyance and turned to fuss at them before realizing that he was the guest in this palace even if he was sleeping with the lord of the castle, just sleeping nothing else.

That was probably why he was so cranky especially since Sesshoumaru had been gone the last five nights leaving him to sleep alone. He bit his tongue and settled for giving the pair a stern look. His stern expression lasted just long enough for Rin to look up at him with her huge, brown eyes. Jaken too looked up at him startled, but the bugged out yellow eyes with reptilian pupils did not have quite the same effect.

"What are you two plotting?"

Rin looked at Jaken and he nodded. She reached out and took Miroku's hand in an almost comforting manner. "Miroku-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama will be back from the meeting with the other great youkai lords tonight. And the doctor birdie-woman said it was okay for you to play with Sesshoumaru-sama now when she came to look at me this morning?"

"You asked her that!" Miroku blushed furiously.

"No, Jaken-sama asked because he said I didn't know the right kind of playing to ask about."

Miroku felt dizzy. "He is going to kill you both for real if he finds out."

Jaken did not look overly worried for someone who was supposed to be a terrible coward. "Not if we can make sure everything goes perfectly tonight and he finally gets around to... er playing with you."

Miroku had not thought that he could turn any redder. He discovered that he was wrong.

Jaken sighed and tapped the human's head lightly with his staff. "Sesshoumaru-sama is not accustomed to dealing with emotions in any way other than ignoring them. Even though you have been well enough for a while now, he will keep finding reasons to keep you at arm's length."

Rin chimed in, "Miroku-sama might get sad and go find somebody else to be his friend. Sesshoumaru-sama won't tell him to stay even if he wants him to really bad."

"And then he'll be even more wound up than he is now and we'll have to go traipsing all over the country looking for some new enemy like Naraku to take out his frustration on."

"You guys know him better than he knows himself, don't you?"

"Of course we do." Jaken rolled his eyes. "Personally, I'd rather he play with you until you can't move for a week, than go out provoking every youkai between here and his border."

"Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't hurt Miroku-sama, silly Jaken. He'll be careful."

Jaken's shade of red very nearly matched Miroku's. He cleared his throat, "Anyway, stupid human, you're bound to mess it up without help."

"Mess what up?" Miroku felt as if he were floating somewhere above his body.

"When he comes home tonight, you should be ready. First thing is your clothes, those won't do..."

Miroku felt his eyes growing wider as Jaken and Rin revealed their very well thought out observations and suggestions. As he began to see the big picture, he felt his shocked gape widening into a rather naughty smile. Sesshoumaru would probably have kicked them all out of his castle and his life had he any inkling at all that his adoptive child, his groveling servant, and one rather perverted monk were plotting his seduction.

Rin and Jaken were absolutely right, though, it was for his own good.


	15. Mates

Sesshoumaru paused a moment at the gate and felt his spirits lift. The other three great Lords were difficult to deal with at best, of course no more so than he was. This time things had gone well, a small band of youkai was slipping along the territorial borders creating havoc and disappearing into the rival youkai's lands whenever any of them got close.

All four lords were annoyed at the audacity of the upstarts and decided on an impromptu hunt. By the time their blood cooled enough to remember their rivalries, the scum was in shreds and the lands on all four sides of the border markers were trembling and silent, cowed by the incredible youki flowing across the night sky. All four were feeling pleasantly sated. The great tiger lord of the eastern lands had even called him 'Dog' as he left rather than his usual nickname, which began with bastard and degenerated from there.

He looked up at his castle, his home. Somewhere inside Jaken would be aware of his return and waiting to whine to him about everything that had happened since he left. Rin would probably run up to him as soon as he entered smiling happily, that smile that cut right through all his carefully wrought shields as if they were no stronger than last year's spider webs. Miroku would be waiting too. He felt a flutter in his chest and his heart sped up. The monk was fully healed now, had been for a while. He was not sure how much longer he could resist that teasing smile, the subtle touches, and the brazen gropes. He was not even sure why he was resisting. He just knew that once he took that final step there was no turning back, the last of the youkai he had been before Naraku would be gone.

He roused himself and pushed open the gate waving off the shadow servant that appeared at his elbow. He pulled open the massive front door and stepped into the foyer. He frowned. It was dark, lit only by two oil lamps on either side of the door. It was also silent. Two shadow servants slipped from the flickering shadows and lifted away his fur and his armored breastplate. Both were still covered with splatters of gore from the hunt. He scented the air and smelled nothing out of place. His frown deepened as he moved down the hallway toward his room.

As he neared the hallway that led straight to his room, he caught a new scent in the air. It was a heavy, sweet fragrance that drowned out every other scent, a mix of lavender, freesia, and rose petals. He looked down at the marble floor; there was a trail of petals leading from the corridor towards the bath. He followed it curiously. The way had been lit with thick candles that cast a warm flickering radiance across the dark marble. The occasional pedestal along the way had been adorned with crystal vases of white lilies, the ones with the pale yellow centers and the curving petals. They were his favorite of all the exotic plants that Rin had collected though he had never mentioned that to her. He felt his curiosity intensify when he noticed small yellow flowers beginning to appear mixed in with the cooler whites and purples of the petals on the floor.

The trail of flowers went out through an open door along the covered breezeway to the bathhouse door. He placed his hand against the door and was not surprised to find it was already slightly ajar. He pushed it open and stood there blinking in shock. The interior of the bathhouse was lit by dozens of candles. There were flowers everywhere here too. The floor was covered thickly with the small yellow petals and every vase and urn he owned was placed around the room and filled with roses, red roses, white roses, yellow and pink roses, even orange roses. He hadn't known that there were this many flowers in the garden, but the most beautiful thing in the room was rising and moving to meet him.

Miroku had obviously been waiting for him. He rose gracefully from his meditative position and came toward him. He wore a simple outfit, wide black silk pants and a loose purple shirt also of silk. A golden sash gathered it around his waist. Whoever had procured this outfit knew exactly what he liked best and what would flatter Miroku. His hair was unbound and brushed his shoulders in back. It had been brushed until it shone. His pale skin was flushed from the heat of the hot spring that filled the pool. He was smiling, a soft, almost shy smile.

Miroku stopped directly in front of him and Sesshoumaru found that he was having trouble breathing. The human reached up and slipped his shirt from his shoulders. He let it fall. Then Miroku knelt in front of him and gently touched his foot. Lifting it, he pulled off his boot then placed it back on the floor, but not before running his fingers lightly from his ankle to his clawed toes. He repeated his actions with the other foot, and then rose. He smiled up at the youkai as his clever fingers undid the sash around his hips and slid his pants down to pool around his feet.

It was the first time that he had ever been nude in front of the human and he could feel his cheeks heating. Miroku stepped back and looked at him boldly. Sesshoumaru could feel the heat of that gaze on his skin. The human looked into his eyes and the youkai's breath caught. They glowed with admiration, desire, longing, and something that he had no words for. Miroku took his hand and led him like a child to the pool maneuvering him until he could guide him carefully down into the hot water.

Sesshoumaru relaxed back against the side of the pool and gave himself over to the soft hands that touched him gently everywhere, washing his hair, running a soft cloth over his skin, pressing a gentle kiss to his neck or shoulders from time to time. He closed his eyes letting the scents and the soft touches lull him into a dreamy state of relaxation.

He felt something brush his lips and opened his eyes. Miroku held a dark, sweet cherry that had been pitted and soaked in honey water and stroked it along his bottom lip. He smiled into his eyes and tapped his lip. Sesshoumaru opened obediently and let him feed him the fruit. The human reached behind him and handed him a small ceramic cup of strong, sweet tea. He fed him small bites of fruit and meats and sweets. Sesshoumaru accepted whatever Miroku gave him. He had never felt so peaceful and still inside.

He barely stirred when the loving hands left him and he heard the rustle of silk sliding over skin. He felt Miroku slip into the water in front of him and opened his eyes. The human was beautiful, he seemed to glow in the candlelight. He looked healthier than he had at first, sleeker, his skin free of bruises and cuts, and nothing more than a white scar to mark where the air void had been. He was slender but strong with corded muscle that played just beneath his skin. He was aroused and Sesshoumaru found his eyes drawn downward.

Miroku spoke then for the first time. His voice was lightly teasing. "Look what you do to me, pretty youkai."

"I am not pretty." He was entirely too comfortable to put any venom behind the words.

"You keep on saying that, do you know what I think?"

"What do you think, Human?"

"I think you need someone to prove it to you because you are entirely too damn stubborn and prideful to believe anything without proof."

"Is that so?"

"Hai."

"And you would prove this, how?"

Instead of answering Miroku stepped up directly in front of him and sank down onto his lap planting his knees on the outside of the youkai's thighs. Sesshoumaru could feel his sex pressing against his stomach. Miroku's scent filled his nostrils, blending wonderfully with the heady smell of the flowers and the mineral tang of the water. He brought his hand up and cupped the monk's cheek.

Miroku felt the clawed hand caress his face and turned into it. He pressed a kiss to the soft palm and looked down into the youkai's face. Sesshoumaru looked dazed. His eyes were half closed, his lips slightly parted and slack instead of compressed into a tight frown. He could not let that opportunity pass. He leaned down pressing his lips against Sesshoumaru's slipping his tongue past them into his mouth. He tasted incredibly sweet and a little spicy, his youkai energy tingled against his tongue. He traced the long curving fangs finding the canal along the back of each one and following it down to the oddly raised area at the base. He drew back with a questioning look.

"Poison glands," was the whispered response.

Miroku smiled at the effect of the kiss on the powerful lord. His lips were still parted and his breath was coming in short shallow pants. Most interesting of all was the fact that there was now something very hard and very hot pressing against his bottom.

He smiled teasingly. "You taste good enough to eat."

"Who's the youkai, here?"

"Oh, do you want to eat me then?" His voice was low and sultry. He was delighted to see a flood of crimson spread across the youkai's ghostly pale skin. He touched the warm cheeks. "I didn't know that dog demon's could blush."

"I thought you were just an innocent monk."

"I am pure as the driven snow."

"Not for long..."

Miroku gasped as Sesshoumaru surged up out of the water holding him tightly against his chest. The youkai lord lifted him easily in one arm. Miroku wound his arms around his neck and rested his head against his shoulder. Miroku felt the youkai wind whip around them drying the water from their skin and Sesshoumaru's hair almost instantly. He gasped again as he felt them rising effortlessly through the air.

"Where are we going?"

"To take care of that purity problem of yours."

"Oh!"

"Oh is the least of the things you'll say, Houshi."

Miroku grinned as they flew back toward the bedroom. "Someone might see us."

"Like I care."

"Who's the perverted one here?" He laughed as Sesshoumaru growled.

Sesshoumaru did not bother letting him down when he reached the bedroom door, just shouldered it open then kicked it shut behind him. Miroku found himself once more being flung down on the bed. This time though a heavy body flung itself after him. He did not have time to gasp as Sesshoumaru seized his lips hungrily. The youkai's tongue explored his mouth only drawing away when Miroku felt he might pass out for lack of air.

As he panted for breath, he felt the hot lips move down his throat nibbling and licking and igniting tiny fires that seem to run through his body to gather at his groin. He was achingly hard and raised his hips, grinding his erection against Sesshoumaru's muscular stomach. He heard his lover growl his appreciation. Miroku writhed as the lips moved down his chest lapping at his nipples, his belly button, the sharp jut of his hipbones. He flung his head back and moaned as the wet mouth descended on his straining organ.

He cried out Sesshoumaru's name and buried his hands in the silver mane as he bucked his hips up into the delicious heat and suction. He cried out encouragement as he felt himself slipping over the edge. He came hard arching his back until it lifted his shoulders from the bed. Sesshoumaru swallowed all but the last few pulses of his release. That last bit he caught in his hand.

He raised his head to look at the monk licking his lips. His eyes glittered with an almost feral light. Miroku looked down at him in absolute adoration. The monk was beautiful, his face flushed and his hair mussed. The youkai lord's eyes flashed red.

His voice was low, dangerous, something between a growl, a purr, and his normal silky voice, and deadly serious. "After this night, you will belong to me Miroku, now and always. I will never let you go, never allow another to touch you. You will be mine, my possession, my partner, my mate, my love. Say no now if you do not want this. There will be no other chance to change your mind. After this, I would kill you before I let you leave me."

Miroku shivered as he stared down into the crimson stained eyes. This was more than he had expected. Sesshoumaru wanted, no needed, more than a lover, even a steady lover. He was offering all of himself. He wanted a permanent mate, and more than that, he wanted Miroku to be that mate. A thousand things raced through his head. He could never have children, he was certain that Sesshoumaru would do exactly what he said and kill anyone who touched his mate, anyone his mate dared to touch. There was Rin, she came with the package, a sweet child he already loved, a crotchety old manservant, infinite power and wealth, and one gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, noble, and cold, cruel heartless taiyoukai. Not heartless, he thought; anyone that thought that was a fool. His facade was good, but his golden eyes and even the frown he wore so often were windows straight into his soul for anyone who had the courage and desire to see it.

His mind told him to say no, to back out now that this was too intense. His heart told him something else entirely. His heart told him that he would never find this kind of love again. His heart whispered that it had taken the youkai lord more courage than he would ever possess to open himself this way. His traitorous heart said that if you hurt him, you will never get this close again and you really will die alone regretting this every day of that life. He took a leap of faith he could deal with the joy or regrets later.

His voice was calm, certain and he made Sesshoumaru's own words a vow between them. "I am yours, Sesshoumaru, and you are mine, my possession, my partner, my mate, my love.

He was certain that he made the right decision, when the youkai surged forward and kissed him with a fierce, wild passion that stole his breath away. He wondered a moment later just what he had gotten himself into as Sesshoumaru knelt between his legs erect and proud in all his glory. He stroked himself coating his length in Miroku's own seed. The human dug his hands into the sheets and screamed as Sesshoumaru entered him. His lover, no mate, he corrected himself sank into his body and then froze over him.

Sesshoumaru buried himself in the hot tight body and heard his mate cry out in pain. He froze and stretched out over the human. He lowered his head to nuzzle at his neck. Miroku's arms slid around him. He pushed his hips up under him urging him silently to move. He found the human's soft lips and kissed him deeply, tenderly. Miroku responded with a low moan. Sesshoumaru began to move slowly in steady even strokes. He had never felt such heat and pressure before and he knew his animal nature was very close to the surface.

Miroku wrapped his legs around his waist and gradually began to respond rising to meet his thrusts. Pain gave way to pleasure such as he had never before felt. He squeezed the strong shoulders and then let his hands slip down the line of his spine to grasp his ass.

Sesshoumaru growled against the human's mouth and increased the speed and strength of his thrusts. He raised his head to watch his lover's face and grinned as he found his pleasure spot and the dark brown eyes flew open in delight. Their bodies moved together with an ease that surprised both of them. Sesshoumaru had worried about hurting the fragile human but he could look at his face suffused with pleasure and know that any initial pain was long gone and now the human was urging him in disjointed speech to go faster, harder.

Miroku had always been the dominant partner in his affairs with men, so he had been a little afraid of the pain. He had also been afraid of the size and strength and sheer power of the taiyoukai. There had been pain, horrible pain for a moment, but then Sesshoumaru had reached some secret place inside his body that sent blazes of pure pleasure flooding through his body. He could feel the tickle of youkai energy all around him. It seemed to wrap around him lending him strength and endurance. He felt himself swiftly approaching his second orgasm and let it take him, carrying him to incredible heights.

Sesshoumaru felt the body surrounding him tighten, almost painfully. His lover screamed as he came. That cry pushed him to his own release. He flung his own head back and howled his own pleasure in an answering cry spilling his seed deep inside the trembling body of his mate. He collapsed over the human panting heavily. Miroku's arms tightened around him holding him close. He pulled out wincing as the scent of fresh blood assaulted his nose.

Miroku chuckled at his expression and brought his hands back up to cup his chin. "You are incredible, did you know that, and very beautiful... I wasn't expecting a proposal"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. "I hadn't planned on asking the first time we lay together."

"So you were going to just use my body and then dump me?" He pouted but his voice held that note of teasing that was such a puzzle to the youkai.

"Actually, I was thinking that I would avoid your lecherous advances until you gave up and went away."

Miroku's eyes widened in mock disbelief, "Has the impossible happened, has MY Sesshou-kun developed a since of humor?"

"Probably not."

Miroku sighed and rolled his eyes before leaning up and kissing the youkai. He drew back enough to look into his lover's golden gaze. "You did mean that didn't you?"

"I did."

"Even the killing part?"

"Yes."

"That bothers me a little. I know what you are and I have seen your capacity for violence, but I've always had a bad habit of touching when I shouldn't and saying things without thinking?"

"I knew that when I took you, perverted monk. I would be hurt and angry if you betrayed me, but I could not hurt you. I understand now why father could never harm Inuyasha's mother no matter what she did. It would be hard if not impossible for me to forgive you or trust you again, but still you would remain my mate. The only thing I could not allow you to do is leave."

"I won't hurt you, pretty youkai. I won't betray you in thought or deed. If I look at another or tease it is only harmless flirting nothing more, never anything more. I swear that."

Sesshoumaru kissed him lightly again. "Then I will not worry."

He was silent for a moment before speaking again. 'There is one thing I must ask?"

"What?" Miroku asked hesitantly.

"Where the Hell did you get all those flowers?"

"Rin. She has spent the last two days picking the ones on the floor and pulling them off their stems. She said you liked the way they smelled. The pretty white lilies, she picked fresh this morning. She said they're your favorites. The yellow flowers I asked for, though they look far prettier in your hair." He smiled as the youkai lord looked decidedly discomfited. "She and Jaken brought the roses in at some point in time to surprise me as much as you."

"Ah so this was a group effort."

"They love you very much, both of them. They would do anything to make you happy." His voice dropped to soft whisper meant for youkai ears alone. "So do I, so would I."

Sesshoumaru looked at him with a strange, unreadable expression. "You would do anything for me?"

"Yes, because I love you." The words came out easier than he had ever expected.

"I love you too, Miroku. At least I think this is love. I would die for you, lay the world at your feet, make your dreams come true, and take all your pain away. Is that love?"

"Hai, that is true love, my Mate." He leaned down to kiss the pale lips passionately. A warm arm wrapped around him and pulled him up against a strong chest. He buried his head against the youkai's shoulder and relaxed letting sleep wash over him. A gentle kiss saw him off into a sweet slumber.


	16. Alive

Miroku woke the next morning to stifled giggles. He pried his eyes open and lifted his head from his mate's shoulder. On the other side of the room Rin and Jaken were setting up tea and breakfast on a silver tray. A vase of the white lilies sat in the center of it. The duo crept out of the room.

"I think you have their seal of approval."

He jumped at the deep, sexy voice below him. "You're awake."

"You're stating the obvious."

"I do that sometimes. It's called normal, pleasant conversation."

"Hmm. Sounds like a human thing."

"A human thing?" He smiled down at the youkai. "I am a human thing after all."

He sat up and stretched and instantly regretted it. He groaned as a sharp flash of pain reminded him of his nocturnal activities. He glared at his mate's dry chuckle. "Oh that's very funny. Wait until I show you how it feels the morning after."

"Is that a promise or a threat," the youkai's voice was low purr that did incredible things to him.

"Yes."

"I'm looking forward to it, then. Don't disappoint me."

Miroku whipped his head around to gape at the youkai.

"You didn't think that I intended to dominate you all the time in our union, did you?"

Miroku flushed. That was exactly what he thought. "I just didn't think you would ever let anyone... let anyone take you."

"You are not anyone, you are my mate. I wish to give you my body as you gave me yours. If you desire it, that is."

Miroku felt his blood heat as his mind produced an image of the long, muscular body spread out beneath him, silver hair spilling over his shoulders and fanning out on the pillow. He groaned.

Sesshoumaru looked at him curiously, his head tilted to one side. There was a peculiar light in his eyes. "Is that a yes?"

Miroku stared up into his eyes and realized what that light and posture meant. He was teasing. This was what Rin and Jaken were so good at. He smiled up into the warm eyes. "No, that's a 'Hell Yes!'"

Sesshoumaru smiled, a real smile that appeared and faded as quickly as the sun on a cloudy day. It left Miroku dazzled. The youkai lord was pouring two cups of tea before he realized that he had left the bed. Still bemused, the monk rose and followed him, though at a much more sedate pace. He had a feeling that he was going to be standing quite a lot today.

They bathed together and dressed in the clean clothes that were already laid out in the bathhouse. The candles were gone, but the roses remained. Their sweet fragrance brought back beautiful memories of the night before and they were both water wrinkled by the time they pulled the silken clothes on.

Rin and Jaken were out in the garden. Rin was chasing the toad with a handful of small green snakes. She stopped immediately when she saw them and ran over attaching herself to both of their legs at once chattering away happily. Miroku smiled down at her and on an impulse kissed her on the forehead. Her huge smile cut right to his heart and he found himself understanding how she had won Sesshoumaru's cold, heart. He was on his knees hugging her tightly to him before he knew it. She hugged him back then squirmed away laughing and resumed her earlier pastime.

A slender hand helped him back up to his feet and he turned to bury his head against his mate's neck. "Thank you," he whispered with heartfelt sincerity.

"For what?" Sesshoumaru sounded puzzled.

"For giving me this family."

Sesshoumaru turned his face and caught his lover's lips in a brief kiss.

"We're an odd family, but we are yours."

"I am so glad."

"We'll see if you feel the same once you've gone through a winter of being trapped inside with the lot of us."

Miroku laughed as Jaken executed an impromptu somersault and came up with a large, slimy worm. Rin dropped the snakes and ran screaming in the other direction.

"I thought she liked worms?"

"She does. She'll find something else to torment him with in a little while. They do this for hours."

"Hours?" Miroku's eyes went wide.

"Endless hours."

Miroku looked up into his eyes, no light, no tilt to the head just his normal bland expression. He was stating a fact. He was trying to formulate a reply when his mate's head swung toward the south.

"They're alive," Sesshoumaru breathed.


	17. The Missing

Miroku clung to the thick mane of fur around Sesshoumaru's shoulder. He had transformed into his canine form and tossed Miroku up onto his back so quickly that the human had barely registered the motion. He had barked a warning at Jaken and the toad had nodded gathering Rin and heading back into the house. Sesshoumaru had not bothered with the gate, just gathered himself and launched into the air. He was running now on what appeared to be a foundation of roiling storm clouds. Lightning chased across the black sky and thunder crashed loudly around him. Youki raged around them making Miroku feel vaguely nauseous. At home, it was still so strange to think that he had a home, Sesshoumaru's aura was a constant comforting presence, in this dense cloud it was suffocating. He stretched out along the broad back between the shoulders and pulled an ofuda from his new kimono. He was grateful that he had the foresight to scribble out a few as they soared along. He whispered a blessing and released the holy power of the ofuda. A faintly glowing pocket surrounded him and the pressure eased. He sighed and relaxed against Sesshoumaru pressing a kiss to the warm fur of his neck. He chuckled when a soft wuff vibrated through the huge body.

He felt them begin to descend and sat up trying to peer through the cloud cover. They landed with a soft thump and the youki cleared. He dismissed the blessed aura and sat up. There was a huge, smoking crater in the middle of the clearing and in the center of it something blackened and scorched that moved weakly. He slid down and in a flash of light Sesshoumaru was standing at his side in bipedal form. The taiyoukai moved ahead of him approaching the indention cautiously. He knelt by the form in the center and rolled it over gently. Startlingly blue eyes flicked open and the figure drew in a shuddering gulp of air.

"Kouga!" Miroku knelt beside the wolf youkai and half lifted him into a sitting position. "What happened?"

As Miroku helped the wolf leader up the demon lord heard something fluttering in the strong breeze. He looked up and saw something white and fine as a spider web dangling from the topmost branches of a pine tree.

"Miroku, stay here and see to the wolfling."

"What is it Sesshoumaru?"

"Maybe nothing, I don't know yet."

He walked around the tree trying to catch a scent, but the smell of burnt earth was too strong. He finally decided to levitate up through the branches. As he approached the strand of white he saw what he had been half expecting, a long lock of white hair, sooty and filthy but t8:58 PM 4/10/2006oo much like his own to belong to anyone else. He drifted higher and saw his brother's body sprawled at an unlikely angle between the thick branches. He reached out and touched the scorched firerat coat. His back was broken and his neck, but he was not cold yet. Sesshoumaru stroked the white hair lightly. It really did feel just like his, just like their father's.

His eyes drifted up to a the broken end of a branch, one of the ugly little imps that drug souls to Hell perched there grinning. His small sickle flashed in the morning sun. A second and third appeared from nowhere to join him. They looked slightly nervous as they realized that he could see them. Ghostly chains flashed out from their hands and sunk into Inuyasha's back. He saw them grow taut as they hooked onto something. It was over, he realized. Inuyasha was dead, irretrievably dead once the little monsters completed their gruesome task.

His mind suddenly conjured an image from the past. He was standing on a small rise watching the humans with their torches scrabbling blindly though the undergrowth. Their prey broke through the briars and vines half stumbling to the ground at this feet. Such a tiny pathertic thing in an oversized red cloak, the very sight of him should have dropped the abomination dead at his feet. Instead golden eyes had found his burning with defiance and anger instead of the pleading or self-pity he had expected. 

"I know who you are, mama said you are my brother."

He sneered in disgust bracing himself for the begging and pleading, the pathetic whining for compassion and mercy. His claws grew hot with venom. 

"I don't care. I'll fight you too! I'm not afraid of you! I'm not afraid of them! Fuck all of you! Go on, dammit! If you hate me so much, just try and kill me."

He took a step back startled as much by the raw defiance and bitter anger in the small child's voice as by the obscenities. His intellect had always been his greatest weapon, though one that cut him just as often as his enemy and it did not fail him now. 

"I have no time for you, pathetic hanyou, I will kill you when I have nothing better to do. Get out of my way and out of my sight." His voice dripped a venom more deadly than anything his poison glands could yield. 

The first torches appeared in the clearing and he heard Inuyasha scramble away. He waited calmly, coldly as the humans surrounded him not moving until he was certain the brat had had time to scramble away, then as the first arrows began to sing their way toward him he had raised two slender fingers. In less than a minute, every human lay dead sliced to shreds armour flesh and bone alike. 

He began to walk forward only to freeze as a high thin voice whispered from the shadows, "thank you."

He turned his head seeing the pup crouched trembling in the path. "I did not do anything for you, hanyou. They were in my way. I killed them as I will kill you the next time we meet."

"It's not my fault I was born!"

"Then die." 

"No!"

"Why do you wish to live, you belong nowhere, you are an abomination, something that never should have been?"

"I'll live and I'll grow strong! I don't need you, I don't need anyone!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. He had heard in the echo of those words the las he had ever spoken to his father. His voice seemed to reach his ears once more blowing in the rising wind, "Is there nothing you wish to protect, Sesshoumaru?" For one moment he looked into the eyes that were a darker shade of his own and for that instant he knew his own loneliness lived in other hearts. For a heartbeat, a door stood before him, the latch within his reach, then he turned and walked away shattering the possibility before it could be born. 

As he stood there watching the chains being drawn back he could feel that moment again crystal clear and real echoing down the dark hallway of time. How much of Inuyasha's violent, arrogant, unreasonable, uncouth, reckless behavior was because the child had grown up in a world without love, without security. Sesshoumaru had grown up with his father's love, a hard unyielding love, but love anyway. Inuyasha's mother had taken that love away from him, but then the great dog demon had died and left them both alone in a world that hated them.

"I should have been there for you," he whispered softly.

He felt a powerful wave of energy pulse through him beating in time with his heart. "Tensaiga?"

Then a second force joined the first. It was slow and weaker but it began to grow stronger as if drawing strength from Tensaiga. "Tessaiga?"

He pulled his sword and instinctively slashed the little imps. The ghostly chains faded to glittering dust. He laid his sword across Inuyasha's neck and back and secured it with his sash in awkward knots. Then he caught Inuyasha's limp hand and wrapped it around Tessaiga's hilt tying it in place as well. He expected it to reject him but for once the sword seemed content to suffer his touch. He rolled Inuyasha over so that he was cradled in his arm with Tensaiga immobilizing his back. The pulse of his sword was speeding up matching his own blade's rhythm. He saw his chest hitch and heard a harsh rattle in his throat.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes cracked open, the golden irises were lost to the dilated pupils. The normally vertical stripe of black was as round as any human's. "Papa?"

Sesshoumaru gasped. His eyes widened as Inuyasha raised a weak hand to touch the blue, moon-shaped mark on his forehead then let it fall to curl in his long hair.

"Papa, I hear you..." The eyelids fluttered then closed again.

Sesshoumaru gathered his brother against his chest and drifted back down to the ground below him. Miroku was cradling the wolf youkai in his arms and wiping his face with a damp cloth. He looked up and cried out as he saw the broken figure in his arms. Sesshoumaru laid him down gently on his side beside the wolf and ran his hand along his back. The shattered spine was healing rapidly. Tensaiga had grown still so he was sure the bones would knit from this point without further aid.

"Is dog crap alright?" Kouga's voice was hoarse.

Sesshoumaru's voice was terse, "He was dead, It looks like he fell from a great height into that tree. I brought him back."

He unfastened his sash and wrapped it back around his waist. Miroku surreptitiously reached across and tied it into a bow for him. Alone and without a prosthetic arm all he could tie was a rather lopsided knot. He looked into his mate's eyes willing him to see the gratitude in them. He was please to see Miroku blush and smile back at him.

Kouga's sharp blue eyes flicked back and forth between them. Sesshoumaru glared at him and he grinned even though it hurt his face terribly to do it. Then his smile faded. He sat up and put his hand out clutching at Sesshoumaru's sleeve. "My boys, did you see my boys, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He looked into the worried blue eyes. "I'll look."

Miroku nodded and brushed the back of his hand. "I'll watch over both of them, find the others. There should be Kouga's two wolf youkai, Kagome, Sango, Kirara, Shippou, and Kohaku." He pulled Tensaiga from behind Inuyasha and handed it to his mate. "You might need this."

He noticed Kouga turn pale and patted his shoulder. "If anyone can save them Sesshoumaru-sama can."

Kouga nodded and collapsed back down sliding closer to the unconscious hanyou. He was cold and the mutt was warm.

Miroku sat down above Inuyasha's head and ran his hand along his neck and down his spine. The newly healed bones seemed sound enough. The muscles were mended, his breathing was steady. It had to be shock keeping him unconscious. Tensaiga healed the physical, only time could heal the psychological. He stroked Inuyasha's head. "What happened Kouga?"

"I don't know. The Shikon rejoined and there was a bright light then I was falling and I felt like I was on fire. Then I woke up here. Is Naraku dead?"

"Kouga-kun, Naraku is dead. Everyone in the final battle disappeared. You've been gone almost three moons."

"What!"

As Kouga tried to get a grasp on the situation, Miroku explained what had happened to him and Sesshoumaru keeping them from the final battle and what the taiyoukai had found at the site of the confrontation. Kouga listened to it all in a mixture of shock and wonder. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Inuyasha's exhausted whisper beat him to it.

"How did you end up being Sesshoumaru's property?"

Miroku heard the unspoken word behind property but he also heard the hurt in Inuyasha's voice. He could not find it in himself to be angry. "I am not his whore or his pet. I'm his mate and I love him Inuyasha. I hope that you can be happy for me in time. If you can't, I hope you don't blame Sesshoumaru because I was the one doing the seducing."

He was rewarded with a dark blush that spread across Inuyasha's cheeks.

Kouga on the other hand chuckled knowingly at him. "Rumor is he's made of ice and doesn't let anybody in. How did you get him to drop his guard amongst other things."

It was Miroku's turn to blush.

"Leave him alone wimpy wolf."

"Make me dog crap."

"Can't you ever shut up, even when you're hurt?"

"Not because you tell me to, asshole."

Miroku sighed and rubbed his face over his hands while the two bickered like an old married couple. He didn't look back up until he heard the bushes rattle. He caught his staff and rose to his feet prepared to defend the two injured men. He relaxed as Sesshoumaru stepped out. The two wolf tribe members were bruised and filthy but able to walk. The demon lord had a small cat like creature curled on one shoulder and Shippou cradled in his arm.

He ignored the two wolf youkai who immediately ran to Kouga and began jabbering at him. Instead he knelt beside Inuyasha who had rolled over onto his back. Wordlessly he lay the kitsune down on Inuyasha's chest. Kirara jumped down and cured up beside his head mewling softly.

He looked at Miroku. "I'm going to circle the other way and look for the girls and the brat. These three were scattered in the forest like something just dropped them down and let the wind spread them like chaff."

Miroku nodded, "Be careful, love."

Sesshoumaru disappeared and Miroku turned his attention to the unconscious Shippou. Inuyasha spoke softly commenting that Sesshoumaru seemed different.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, not as cruel and spiteful. I can't believe he's actually searching for the others."

"I think he realized he missed you when you were gone and presumed dead."

"Yeah right," sarcasm tainted his reply. "He just was pissed because he thought somebody else killed me."

"Maybe you're right, maybe not. He did bring you back to life just now."

"He did?" There was honest puzzlement in Inuyasha's voice. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, ask him yourself."

As if conjured by his words, Sesshoumaru landed heavily beside them. He was carrying a battered and soaking wet figure dressed in pink and black armour.

"Sango!" Miroku rushed to help him lay the youkai hunter down. She was breathing but her injuries looked severe.

Inuyasha struggled upright and leaned over her. "She's alive isn't she?"

She started choking and coughing up water all at once. Miroku held her across his lap and rubbed her back to help get the water out. He was so busy he didn't notice Sesshoumaru had left again until he laid Sango down beside Inuyasha with Kirara curled up in the crook of her neck.

He frowned a little but went about building a fire and boiling water. He hunted around the clearing and found a few sorry looking mushrooms and some wild onions. Then he lucked out and startled a small rabbit. He managed to whack it with his staff and quickly skinned and cleaned it. It would be a rather thin broth, but it would be better than nothing. He managed to get each of them to drink a little soup from an empty turtle shell he had found. Then they slipped off into sleep one at a time. He watched over them and waited.

Sesshoumaru returned with the dawn, empty handed. Miroku rose and embraced his mate. "No sign of Kagome or Kohaku?"

Sesshoumaru's voice was soft, "I found the brat's scent and followed it to the edge of a cliff over the sea. He was dying without the shard and reeked of guilt and despair. I looked but didn't see a body. There was no trace of the girl anywhere."


	18. Depressing Trip

The trip back was a depressing one. For speed's sake, Miroku asked Sesshoumaru if he would consent to carry the others. It was first thing he had ever asked Sesshoumaru to do for him in their newly born relationship. Sesshoumaru's frown had deepened a moment and Miroku had seriously wished he had Rin there to translate, then his expression smoothed and he nodded tersely. Miroku had impulsively leaned up and pressed his head under his mate's chin the same way he had seen Rin do. He had seen animals do that in a show of submission. As he halfway expected, Sesshoumaru whuffed into his hair and hugged him reassuringly.

His giant, youkai dog form dropped to the ground and lay still as Miroku and the only slightly singed Kirara struggled to get the others up on his back. Once they were all firmly in place Sesshoumaru set off at a loping run launching himself into the air when it became certain his charges would not slide off. Miroku suffered the powerful youki on the way back knowing that it was affecting Sango the same way and probably Inuyasha and the wolves as well.

The younger wolves were wrapped around each other whimpering. They finally gathered the courage to question Miroku. "Why is Sesshoumaru-sama helping us. Is he going to kill us?"

"He rescued you all," Miroku answered puzzled.

"Why would he do that?" the mohawked brother asked suspiciously.

"Why wouldn't he?" Miroku's voice was smooth but he felt an irrational stir of anger.

"He hates everybody, he's the strongest youkai and the most dangerous one. He would rather kill you than look at you," they explained words tumbling over one another. "He's scary!" They wailed in unison.

"He saved Inuyasha, spent the whole night searching this whole damn forest to find you and the others, and you're still afraid of him." Miroku asked increduoulsly.

Their expressions showed more clearly than any words that they were.

He felt a stab of pain. Sesshoumaru must know how much people feared him. He could smell it, he could hear it in their voices. He was beginning to realize why the powerful demon kept his heart locked away so deep inside. It was to protect himself. He and Rin had torn down the walls that shielded his self. He said so himself. So that meant that his protection was gone because of them, now the casual fear and hate could get inside and cut him. He closed his eyes and fought back the wave of grief that accompanied that thought. He turned away from the pair of youths and gazed at his sleeping companions. For him, Sesshoumaru was carrying these people that all either hated or feared him to some degree back to his very den. He was making concessions for him.

The monk stood suddenly and carefully picked his way along the giant dog's spine over the heavy ruff of fur around his shoulders and up the powerful neck. He stretched out across his head until his cheek rested on the crescent moon mark. The long silky ears lifted and flicked back toward him.

"All anyone sees is the Great, Dog-Demon Lord of the Western Lands, everyone except me, and Rin, and Jaken. They hate and fear you without even knowing you. It isn't fair."

The giant dog snorted, a derisive sound. Miroku smiled into the soft fur. "No one ever said life was fair?" The demon barked once, an obvious affirmative.

"I love you, my mate. You know that don't you?"

Another bark rippleded through the huge body and he could swear he heard amusement in the tone. He smirked. "You vibrate when you bark. That could be ... interesting. I wonder if I could make you wag your tail."

The sound his comment produced was even stranger than the bark, a strangled whine that was at once shocked and curious. He laughed and reached across to scratch behind his ear. They were as soft as his hair was in his more familiar form. "You agreed that you belong to me. That means all your forms including this one, and that cool, silver ball, and anything else you turn into." There was definite amusement in his bark. Then they were descending again into the familiar territory of Rin's garden.

The shadow servants were there helping everyone off of Sesshoumaru's back except for the terrified wolves who had leapt away the moment they landed and were now frozen with fear. Miroku sighed. He started to speak but was saved from cajoling them inside by a small squealing creature that ran and attached itself to Sesshoumaru's lone foreleg squeezing it tightly then transferred the crushing hug to his leg before going to stand in front of the two wolf youkai.

"Hello! Rin is not scared of you anymore. Sesshoumaru-sama and Miroku-sama won't let you hurt me. Are you grownups or kids You look like grownups but you act like kids. Will you play with me outside? I want to play ball, but not too much 'cause I still get tired fast, but Miroku-sama says I'll be fine before I know it. What does that mean? What's your names? I'm Rin and..." She rattled on cheerfully grabbing one hand on each of the boys and tugging them toward where her balls and outside toys were stored in a large bin.

Miroku watched her nervously.

"They won't hurt her," Kouga's voice was weak and pained, but still reassuring.

"I'm not sure we can say the same, our little Rin can be a bit energetic," he turned to look at the wolf pack leader.

Kouga started to laugh but choked it off when his broken ribs tore into his injured side. "They'll live, serves 'em right for being ingrates."

He frowned, Kouga had heard him talking to the boys and he still felt a little angry. A pale hand on his shoulder stilled him.

"They are just pups, they did not offend this Sesshoumaru."

Kouga nodded looking a little relieved, "Aa, they look grown but they're not much older emotionally than the girl is, just thicker skulled. They did not mean to upset your mate."

Miroku looked startled then he recalled what Sesshoumaru had told him. He was marked as his, forever. Any youkai would look at him and know that he was the great demon's chosen mate and treat him as such. Pride filled him at the thought. He, a mere, human monk had captured the icy hearted dog demon and if he was also snared in the process, well it was a small price to pay for the rewards.

He grinned, "Don't fret over it, Kouga. I suppose I'm just a little overprotective of my mate. I'm still new at this."

Kouga smiled back at him ruefully. "Congratulations by the way, I'm glad somebody came out of this crap to the good."

"She's alright, Kouga, somewhere, somehow, she is alright. I know it."

"Thanks, Houshi. I hope you're right." Kouga looked at him somberly and Miroku found himself missing the fiery, belligerent, young man that used to annoy the Hell out of him.

"You need rest, Miroku."

The low voice at his ear reminded him of how exhausted he was. "That's right, I didn't get much sleep last night and none tonight." He tipped a wink at the older man who merely snorted. "The shadow things will see to them, right?"

"Aa, and I sent Jaken for the healer."

"Can we go to bed?"

"Shouldn't you eat first?"

"I'm not hungry, I just want to curl up in your arms and let everything go away for a while."

"That sounds good, my own."

"I love it when you call me yours." Miroku moved to Sesshoumaru's side and wrapped his arm around his waist leaning his head on the remnant of his left arm. "Do you mind if I do that?" He looked up at the demon.

"No, you may touch me as you wish."

He sighed happily and let Sesshoumaru guide him back to the bedroom they had exited what seemed like years ago.


	19. Shared Grief

Kouga opened his eyes and wished he had not. He was alive, Naraku was dead, Kagome too. "She's not dead. She's not." He whispered.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Inuyasha's voice reached his ears. "She is alive, dammit! Don't you even say she's d... gone!"

The hanyou was sitting in a chair beside his bed. He smelled fine but he looked like Hell. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair a tangled mess. He looked like he had been crying. Kouga glared at him suspiciously. "What do you want, dog crap?"

"Did you see her, wimpy wolf, do you remember anything from just before?" He leaned forward intently, "I remember her raising up her hand and all the shards coming to her and recombining and the light getting so bright I couldn't see anymore, then Naraku screamed and exploded. Did you see anything else?" His voice sounded desperate."

Kouga sighed and let his shoulder's slump. "She held up the Shikon and it kind of sunk down into her body and her eyes were glowing. The she drew back on her bow and let go an arrow that was glowing so bright I couldn't stand to look at it. That was what hit Naraku, I think. Then the glow from her eyes got brighter and I had to close my eyes." He frowned, "then I woke up and your brother was leaning over making eyes at your monk pal."

Inuyasha slumped back too tired to rise to the bait. "Sesshoumaru is a cruel, arrogant asshole but he is also a Hell of a hunter and thorough. If he didn't catch Kagome's trail, she wasn't there. Maybe she came out somewhere else or maybe she went back to her own time."

Kouga's eyes lit up briefly, "Yeah, maybe she's back in her own time. We've got to check out the well!"

Inuyasha lowered his head. "I already did, this morning. It doesn't work anymore. It's just an empty well. If she is back in her time, she can't come back and we can't go to her.

Kouga was ashamed to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He looked defiantly at the dog demon but his anger died away as he saw streaks of moisture tracking from under the shaggy white bangs and down his cheeks. "You crying?"

"Hell no. You?"

"I don't cry," he lied as the tears spilled over and stung on his burned cheeks.

Inuyasha looked up at him from under his bangs. "Shit, you're making those blisters bleed again." He stood and picked up the soft cloth the healer had left in a bowl of water infused with healing herbs. He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully bathed his face. Kouga's eyes were wide, shocked. "Just be still, moron."

Kouga frowned at him, "who are you calling a moron, moron?"

"Don't frown, it makes them break open worse. You look like you tried to make stew with your face."

"Thanks a lot."

"I wonder if it'll heal up all scarred. Then you'd be even uglier than you were."

"If my hands weren't so damn sore, I would beat you into the ground dog face."

"Like I'm worried about a stupid, little, wolf pup like you," Inuyasha rinsed the cloth and moved it down to Kouga's hands lifting them with his own and patting them gently with the soothingly cool cloth."

"How come you didn't get burned?"

"I don't know, Miroku said my back and neck were broken and that Sesshoumaru brought me back to life. I was stuck up in a tree."

"Why did your brother do that? I thought he hated you."

"Me too, I don't know. He's been acting weird since..."

"Since he started making it with your buddy?"

Inuyasha blushed, "I wonder how Miroku got mixed up with him."

"Yeah, I always heard it wasn't worth trying to get close to the big dog, cause he was colder than ice. People said he didn't like girls or guys and he'd rather kill you on sight than put up with being courted."

"Why would anyone want to court such a jerk anyway?"

"Duh! You really are ignorant aren't you, dog boy? He's the lord of the western lands, powerful, rich, sexy in a kind of statue like way. It's like instant status to be his toy, much less his mate. And that monk got a marking out of him..."

"Sexy? He is not sexy."

"Pretend he isn't your brother and look at him."

Inuyasha glared at him but tried to picture the full youkai as others did. He suddenly recalled a picture he had seen once when his mother had brought him to the place she had lived with his father before she ran away back to her own people to try and stop the war that had killed him and so many of her loved ones. They had walked through the huge castle like thieves cringing at the strange shadws that seemed to watch them. He had found a painting of his mother on a wall and beside it another woman. 

He had gazed up at her in awe. He had loved the tall, elegant looking youkai with the silver hair that just brushed the ground and her silver eyes that danced with some funny secret only she seemed to be in on. He thought once in a while of that picture and as he had grown it had occured to him that she must be his brother's mother. He tried to see in Sesshoumaru that regal beauty, that playfully sly look.

"Whatever," he groused pressing the cloth to the exposed flesh of Kouga's neck and shoulders.

Kouga snorted. He let his head drop forward onto the hanyou's shoulder startling him. "What do we do now?" His voice was a soft whisper.

"I don't know." Inuyasha replied and moved the cooling cloth along the back of Kouga's neck. "I guess we go on. She would want us to, I guess."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"How?"

For that, the hanyou had no answer.


	20. Caught In the Act

Sango stood shakily in the corridor outside her room. She had no idea where she was. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness for an unknown period of time. There were faces drifting through the swirl of her dreams and faces that seemed clearer than dreams. She was sure that Miroku had been there some of the times she was certain she had been awake and Shippou and Inuyasha, but there were others too that could not have really been there, Sesshoumaru of all people, an ancient and powerful youkai with the face of a child who touched her and chased away the pain in her chest before pushing her back down into peaceful sleep, a small child that seemed vaguely familiar, and the boys that followed Kouga around. The only constant in the madness was Kirara. The firecat was never farther away than she could reach. Every time her eyes forced themselves open, a soft mew greeted her.

Kirara was mewling now beside her ankle, worried about her. Sango wanted to reassure her friend but it cost too much effort to make her burning lungs find the air. She laid one hand on the cool marble walls and forced herself to place one foot in front of the other. The air cut through her thin sleeping garment making her shiver. Her erratic senses were telling her that she was surrounded by strong youki and in danger, even though it seemed as if someone was caring for her. She coughed violently smothering the sound in the crook of her elbow. She kept moving down one long hallway then a sharp turn into another corridor. That corridor led into another in an endless succession. She was trapped in a maze of passages and her strength was failing her. Kirara whined softly. She looked at the small feline. "Miroku-sama, where is Miroku, Kirara?"

The youkai looked at her then turned and sniffed padding along slowly and looking over her shoulder often. Sango followed her gratefully. Fortunately it wasn't far. Kirara stopped outside an ornately carved ebony door and sniffed at the crack beneath it, then she laid her ears back and shook her head before looking up at the exterminator and mewing piteously.

"What is it, Kirara?" she asked. Her head jerked up causing shooting pains to course through her head. She had heard a cry, a low sound, but one that sounded familiar. "Houshi-sama!"

She flung the door open and rushed in freezing as two sets of startled eyes, one pair honey gold, the other a familiar dark brown turned to stare at her. Her eyes took in every detail of the scene. Sesshoumaru in all his glory, and he was glorious, naked and flushed with passion on his knees in the center of an enormous bed covered in black velvet. Miroku too, was naked with his unbound hair curling on his neck and his tanned skin slick with sweat. He was also on his knees with his hands buried in the demon's silvery hair and sitting on Sesshoumaru's lap. ' Not his lap ', her mind corrected. ' They're doing IT. Together. He likes it too, look at his face. This isn't rape or fucking, they're making love...'

"H...houshi-s...sama? S...sess...shou...maru? You're..." The world withdrew with a humming sound and darkness crashed in on her. The last thing she felt was an arm grabbing her before she hit the floor. The last thing she thought as she passed out was ' He smells like Miroku and ginger. '

Sesshoumaru looked at the human he held, confused. Miroku was at his side in a moment and calling her name worriedly. He felt an irrational surge of jealousy but kept it from reaching his expression. He lifted the girl and carried her to his bed laying her down on the spot he and Miroku had just occupied. He looked around and found the clothes his mate had torn off of him and got dressed shifting his still rigid cock until he could tie his pants. He tossed Miroku's robes at him wordlessly.

"Should we get the healer?" Miroku asked as he caught the clothing and shrugged into it quickly.

"Aa, I think so, she is still fevered."

"No, please."

The girl's voice was hoarse but clear enough. Sesshoumaru gazed at her, "You are still sick."

"I'll be alright, I should not have burst in on you like that, I just heard..." She blushed crimson.

Miroku chuckled, "I can imagine what you heard."

"I was afraid..."

"...Someone was hurting me?"

She nodded weakly.

"Sango," Miroku caught her hand gently and sat down beside her. "Sesshoumaru-sama and I are together. A lot of things happened while you guys were missing. I'll tell you more when you are stronger, but trust me when I say that Sesshoumaru would never hurt me and that I am happier than I ever have been before."

The youkai lord felt vaguely ashamed of his jealousy. He stood at Miroku's side and looked at the warrior wordlessly. She blushed even darker but met his eye. ' Brave girl, ' he thought, ' not many full blooded youkai can do that. '

"Let us carry you back to bed, Sango-chan," Miroku's voice was soothing. "You landed in the river and nearly drowned then took a fever from the water in your lungs. The healer says you need to stay in bed no matter how you feel until your lungs are clear."

"Alright," she did not have the strength to argue. Miroku lifted her carefully and Kirara jumped up onto his neck. Their concern was comforting. When Sesshoumaru too rose and wrapped a warm blanket around her body, she was shocked and strangely touched. Once back in bed, the healer appeared. It was the ancient child from her dreams. She gave the exterminator a fiery liquid to drink and soon sleep claimed her dragging her down into a tangled mess of nightmares and dreams in which people she knew did the strangest things while she watched.


	21. Kouga and Inuyasha

Inuyasha wandered through the garden listlessly avoiding the others by staying in the darker narrower pathways. The grief from losing Kagome, guilt over Kikyou, and the strange sense of numbness that wrapped around him had combined into one terrible aura of oppression that hung over him like a storm cloud. He was trudging along with his head down and his mind miles away. He came to a halt as he thudded into something solid and unyielding.

He looked up into his brother's eyes and froze as the full impact of everything that had happened hit him. His right hand balled into a fist before he realized it and shot out to impact squarely with Sesshoumaru's stomach. He heard the full blooded demon grunt as the air was forced from his body and raised his hand again, but this time the blow did not connect. Instead Inuyasha flung himself against his brother. All the pain, hate and misunderstanding between them seemed far away as he buried his face against a silk clad shoulder crying out, an animal howl of pain and loss. He thumped his fist into a strong shoulder barely registering the tears that were flowing over his cheeks. He started to pull away as he recalled who he was clinging to but an arm wrapped around his waist pulling him close.

He heard slightly hoarse words close to his pointed ear, "I should have been there then, maybe it's not too late. I am here now Inuyasha."

The regret and offer of comfort in that deep voice undid him. He wept helplessly in the arms of the brother he had spent most of his life hating. A cloud of soothing warm youki washed over him comforting him as it had never done before. He cried himself out then snuffled until his voice came back to him.

"What happened to the picture of your mama?"

"What?" Sesshoumaru raised his head from Inuyasha's tangled hair.

"The picture of your mama it was on the wall in the library next to the picture of mine, what ever happened to those?"

"Both are still there. Why?"

"Can I see them?"

"Of course, why?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to see if what I remembered was real." He grimaced changing the subject abruptly. "I am a pitiful hanyou aren't I. Useless. I couldn't even keep her safe."

"You did as much as anyone could, Inuyasha, youkai or otherwise. You can wallow in the ruins of your life until death takes you down or you can pick up the pieces left and rebuild and try not to make the same mistakes again."

Inuyasha blinked and frowned deeply as he pulled back to look at his brother in surprise. "I never expected to hear anything like that from you, or to have you treat me like a person and not some crap stuck on the bottom of your foot."

Sesshoumaru sighed, "I made mistakes, a lot of mistakes out of pride and arrogance. Nearly losing Rin, having to chose between her and my vengeance, then later falling in love with Miroku, and seeing you lying there dead... all those things made me realize what was really important to me. I am not who I was. It may be too late to correct the mistakes of the past, but it was never my nature to roll over and play dead, so I will take what is left of me and build a new life. I would like you to be in it, but that is your choice."

Inuyasha looked at him for a long time. "I don't know if I am that strong,"

"You are Father's son. You are strong."

"Sesshoumaru... I... I don't know what to say..."

His older brother stepped away and nodded to the left. "Maybe you should talk to one who understands more than I do." Kouga's scent reached their noses. "There is much between us that we will have to overcome. And I think it must be done a little at time."

"I think you're right, Sesshoumaru. Thank you, for everything."

The older youkai nodded and turned back moving deeper into the garden. Inuyasha watched him a while then took a path that would bring him to Kouga.

The wolf youkai was standing beside a koi pond watching his boys playing with the ningen. They would play as long as the sun held, come in and eat until they were stuffed from the sumptuous meals Sesshoumaru laid out. The elder youkai had somehow managed to get them to come in and eat at a table with utensils and use manners. They were even polite to each other and respectfully quiet around the sick exterminator. It was a puzzle to Kouga, since he never yelled or even talked directly to them. He would raise a brow or tilt his head and he suspected that the girl interpreted that action and for some reason the boys behaved.

"Maybe he just has a way with kids, but I thought he hated kids."

"Sesshoumaru?"

Kouga looked at him without surprise. His sense of smell was as keen as either of the dog demons. "Aa. They were terrified of him a few weeks ago, now all he has to do is look at them and they behave."

"He's a prince. They say father could do the same thing. Not me though."

"Princes and kings... Feh, I'll take a dog faced jerk like you any day."

"Hey! Um..." he trailed off not sure if he had been complimented or put down.

"Hmph, don't think too hard, you'll hurt yourself."

"Wimpy wolf, if you've got a problem with me say it to my face!"

"Shut up, mutt. I itch."

"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"

"My burns are healing and they fricking itch and I can't scratch them. That makes me cranky."

"Is that an apology?"

"Why would I apologize to you?"

Inuyasha sighed and started to walk away, but a hand on his wrist stilled him.

"Stay a while."

"Why?"

"Because I asked you."

"Okay."

Inuyasha stepped up beside the wolf demon feeling his youki aura touch him like a warm breeze. He leaned into the aura and Kouga took a step closer instead of moving away. They stood side by side, Kouga' s fur wrapped arm just brushing Inuyasha's firerat cloak.

Kouga broke the silence first, "I should take the boys and go home now that I'm well enough to travel. But there isn't anything there to go back too."

Inuyasha glanced over at him sadly, "Yeah." He raised his head as Rin ran from Ginta ducking between Hakkaku's legs and causing the brothers to crash into each other and tumble over in a kicking scratching heap of arms and legs. She threw the ball to Shippou who scrambled for the makeshift goal whooping when he scored. 

"Oh man, that was sad," Kouga sighed.

Rin laughed in delight. "Ha! We got you!" 

"Rin, that was very clever but not overly nice," a warm voice admonished from a nearby bench.

Inuyasha started, he hadn't seen Miroku sitting there bundled in a warm blanket. As he watched Sesshoumaru joined him slipping onto the bench and pulling Miroku into his embrace with the same fluid grace that touched everything he did. Miroku snuggled in against his chest with a contented smile.

Ginta stood first and brushed himself off, "It's not fair, we have to be careful because Rin is still hurt!"

Sesshoumaru's deep voice carried easily to the playing children, "If Rin is well enough to play from dawn until dusk with you three, I imagine she is well enough to take her share of the knocks."

Rin's yelp of happiness was as dog-like a sound as any of the dog demons had ever produced. She immediately tackled Ginta like a miniature whirlwind. Shippou deftly jumped aside and trotted over to sit on the bench beside Miroku. He didn not often stray too far from Miroku or Inuyasha's side. Kagome had been a mother to him and he was quieter and less energetic than he had been before.

"That isn't very lady-like," Miroku teased Rin slipping an arm around the kitsune, "our daughter is a wild little thing, Sesshou-kun."

"Like I care, " Sesshoumaru snorted.

Rin laughed maniacally at his words and Hakkaku and Ginta looked nervous. 

"They're in for it now," Kouga laughed startling Inuyasha.

"Huh."

"What?" Kouga glared back at him.

"You've got a nice laugh, I don't think I ever heard it before."

Kouga blushed. Inuyasha blushed as well. They both cleared their throats and looked the other way.


	22. Parting

Sango looked out the balcony window watching the two wolf demons, Shippou, and Sesshoumaru's girl throwing snowballs at each other. The child was growing in a sudden burts as children will. Her legs had lengthened and childish plumpness was rapidly fading into a petite but curving figure. The wolflings two were becoming more mature, though that did not keep them from playing at every chance. Only Shippou seemed the same, still young and vulnerable, caught out of this happy new life as she was.

Her pneumonia had healed at last but in the fever's wake was a tired loneliness, a feeling like she had lost everything. She had told Miroku that she was happy for him and that was true, but she could not seem to get that message through to her aching heart. The seasons slid into each other in a dim haze for her. She smiled vaguely and nodded at those who talked to her, but it was all an act to hide the fact that she was dead inside, empty as a broken shell beside the sea. 

"Kagome is gone, Kohaku is gone. Miroku loves another. What does that leave?" Her breath turned to white mist in the cold air.

She turned back into the room pulling the thick shutters closed and latching them behind her. The room was comfortable, spacious, one of the nicest she had ever been in. It had become a prison of her own making. The others had come around often trying to lure her back into the world, but she felt safer here. Kirara mewled worriedly around her feet.

She acted quickly, afraid that she would lose her nerve and sink back into the lethargy that had held her in place so long. She strapped her weapon on and wrapped herself warmly against the cold. "Come on Kirara."

She opened the door and once again crept quietly down the hall. This time though, she knew where she was going. She came to the small side door that led into the garden. Her feet crunched in the crisp snow as she walked away from the castle. She stayed well back in the shadows of the trees and made it unseen as far as the gate before a deep, velvety voice stopped her.

She turned to face Sesshoumaru schooling her face into a mask of neutrality. "Sesshoumaru-sama."

He took in her appearance with his uncanny eyes and asked where she was going. She briefly entertained making something up but dismissed it immediately. Even if he could not read minds he could smell a lie. "I am going back to the ruins of my village. I need some time alone to think."

"It is dangerous going alone. With Naraku gone the lesser demons are more active."

"I can take care of myself, but thank you for your concern and your hospitality, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He frowned and looked as if he might stop her for a moment, so she raised her head glaring at him defiantly. "Am I a prisoner, here?"

"No, you are not."

"Then let me go, please, and... give me time enough to get away before you tell Miroku-sama."

Sesshoumaru frowned even more deeply and narrowed his eyes but stepped away giving Kirara room to transform. Sango mounted and took off in a rush of flames climbing high at first them leveling out and heading towards the place that was once her home. She did not look back.

Sesshoumaru waited until she was out of sight then walked back towards the castle deep in thought. He didn't even react when a stray snowball exploded on his back.

Rin, Ginta, and Hakkaku hugged each other giggling in relief. They looked around for Shippou but he had slipped away quietly in the tense moments. They followed his tracks to the gate where they met up with Sango's boot tracks and Kirara's paw prints. 

"He didn't say goodbye," Rin mused.

"They'll be back soon," Ginta smiled down at her making her heart beat faster. 

"Yeah?"

"Sure they will, don't you worry, Rin-chan."

"I won't then." Her voice was soft as she looked up into his hazel eyes.

"Um, guys, hey guys..." Hakkaku waved his hand between them drawing their glares and a barrage of snowballs and they were off and running again laughing in the winter air.


	23. Forever

"You just let her go? By herself?" The human's voice rose sharply and held an edge of anger and disbelief.

Sesshoumaru's expression did not change but he flinched inwardly. He had expected this to be a no-win situation, but that did not mean it was pleasant anyway. He had learned as a young man that there were times when nothing you could do was right and anything you said would make it worse.

Apparently wealth and rank did not make you immune to the trap either. He remembered clearly, his father joining him one evening for sword practice and waving away his instructors. When Sesshoumaru had found the courage to question the sudden surge of paternal attention, his father had muttered that it was better than facing his stepmother in a no-win situation. He had not understood his father's explanation then and in truth, he had been so gratified by the hour or two of unexpected attention that he had not questioned his father's odd statement for fear that he would get angry and walk off.

He had known the moment he let the exterminator go exactly what his father was talking about. Had he stopped her, he would have had to physically restrain her and that would have made Miroku angry and her furious. By not stopping her, he had gained her gratitude perhaps, but now Miroku would feel like he had turned her out into the cold.

"I should go after her, it's dangerous out there..."

"No." He interrupted him.

Miroku's eyes widened in shock. "No? What do you mean 'no'?"

"She would hate you for that. If you have any respect for her, give her time to grieve. She has lost her brother, her friend, her purpose in life, and you, all in one moment."

"Me..." Miroku looked troubled. "We weren't..."

"You may not have been lovers but she loved you and she thought you loved her." He rested one clawed finger on his lower lip. "In her eyes, I stole you away while you were vulnerable and she was not there to fight for your heart. To you, time passed, you grieved for her, and you moved on turning to me for comfort. Her mind might acknowledge the strangeness of the situation, but as far as her heart is concerned you just stopped loving her and took another, a man at that."

Miroku blinked. Chaotic emotions swirled through his mind and guilt filled his heart. "I never meant to hurt her."

"I know you didn't. She knows you didn't." Sesshoumaru pulled his mate into his arms and held him tightly.

Unlike his father, he would face the storms of emotion that humans were so prone too and not run from them. Even if he had ended up falling prey to his father's weakness for human love, he did not have to repeat the old dog's mistakes. He had willingly chosen to love a human and he would take the bad with the good.

He felt Miroku snuggle his face in against his collar bone and nuzzled his cheek reassuringly. "She will recover in time."

Miroku sighed, "I should have been there."

"And what would you have done?"

"Talked her into staying here..." the doubt in his voice belied his words.

"And why would she remain here? So that she might be reminded daily of all that she lost?"

Miroku stiffened and started to pull away but Sesshoumaru restrained him. "Do not withdraw from me because you are angry, Miroku. That will only create scars between us, and we are not strong enough yet to survive such wounds."

Miroku looked up at him startled. "This mating is forever, you said so."

His eyes softened as he looked back at his mate but his voice was unyielding. "The mating is forever, but forever can be a very long time when you spend it with someone you have grown to hate. And, my only one, the distance between love and hate is short. Our road is harder than most because of what we are and who we are. If we are to grow together there can be nothing but honesty and trust between us. Nothing can remain unspoken, no fear, no anger, no doubt. Once we begin turning away from each other, we are lost."

Miroku nodded somberly and hugged him close. "You are wise, my mate. I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry for."

Miroku relaxed into his arms. "I just feel guilty."

"I know. I would take this burden from you, but that is not within my power. Only time will make it better."

Miroku sat on the edge of the bed heavily staring at nothing. He was interupted by his mate's quiet voice. "The Kitsune went with her too. He was hiding under her boomerang. I think he did not want to say goodbye to you and Inuyasha."

"He hasn't gotten over Kagome yet. He just seems to draw farther and farther away from us."

"He lost a mother from what you have said. That is never an easy thing. He needs to first accept her death then learn to hold on to the memories of her life instead of the grief of parting."

"Poor kid."

"It is his grief keeping him a child. Kitsune grow in cycles and he should have reached adolescence twenty or thirty years ago. The power is there in him, but he has yet to reach for it."

Miroku stared at Sesshoumaru wide eyed, "Shippo is an adolescent?" 

"Not until he is ready to move on, but he can at any time. All he has to do is open himself to his youki and let it transform him to his second form. His two tailed form."

"Two tails?" Miroku decided he was officially out of his depths.

"The most powerful fox demons have seven tails, each tail marks a stage of their evolution and a jump in their powers."

"And you think Shippou's growth has been stunted by the pain of losing first his parents and siblings then his surrogate mother?"

Sesshoumaru gave him a look that said plainly, that is what i just said is it not. 

He could not help but smile at the dry look. Miroku impulsively stretched up and seized his lips in a fierce kiss. He saw golden eyes widen in surprise then brighten with desire as the youkai prince kissed him back. He caught Sesshoumaru's slender waist and pulled him back towards their bed. Sesshoumaru allowed him to lead him there and push him down onto the soft mattress. The monk climbed on after him straddling his hips and keeping their mouths locked together.

Sesshoumaru relaxed beneath him, raising his arm and tucking it behind his head. Miroku broke the kiss and looked down at the inhumanly beautiful man lying peacefully beneath him. He opened the youkai's robes revealing the pale, muscular chest and let his hands trace the maroon stripes that curved over his hips to point at his navel. He leaned down and traced one of the stripes with his tongue following it to its destination and licking and nipping at the shallow indention. He could feel skin and muscle ripple under his touch.

"You are so sensitive. Your skin is incredible. Are all youkai like that." Sesshoumaru's lip twitched up into a teasing smirk. "I don't make a habit of licking other youkai."

"Oh?" Miroku raised a dark brow, "So you do make a habit of running around licking humans?"

"Only you, perverted monk."

Miroku shivered his eyes brightening as his normal risqué nature took over. "So, dog demon of mine, tell this perverted monk where exactly you learned to use that strong, sexy, responsive body as well as any geisha was ever trained to." He grinned broadly as ivory cheeks colored. "Aha, I think I see... Has my pretty been playing in the demon equivalent of teahouses?"

Sesshoumaru protested indignantly, "I have never been in a whorehouse. My father started bringing them to me when I was old enough to..."

"To do what?" His fingers drew lazy circles over Seshoumaru's abdomen as he trailed them down slipping the edges of his robes down over the hardening flesh between his legs. "To have wet dreams? To get hard as you looked at the attractive demons that came to his court? To ask questions that made him uncomfortable?"

"Umm, yes, touch me..."

"Tell me first." Miroku flicked his fingernail across the head of his penis as his voice became low and sulky with the same undertone of teasing that always drove his lover to distraction.

"He brought me male and female prostitutes. They were well trained, attractive, clean, and more than willing to teach. The privilege of rank, I suppose. They were as impersonal as any other merchant, but that was alright. I wasn't exactly passionate and giving myself."

He sighed as Miroku began to stroke his heated sex and his talented mouth descended to suckle his left nipple to hardness.

"So you had sex but without any emotion." There was a sympathy in Miroku's voice that made Sesshoumaru shiver. "And your father thought that was enough." He nipped the small nub tugging at it with his teeth and eliciting a gasp from his lover.

"For the most part. Sometimes he brought prisoners of war, youkai and human both, and gave me the ones he didn't want."

Miroku's head shot up, eyes wide. "He... raped... prisoners?" He could not bring himself to ask the question that followed logically.

Sesshoumaru did not have to look to know that his mate's face would hold an expression of horror, he felt other peoples emotions so deeply, even people long dead and buried. "He never had to, he would treat them kindly, flatter them with gentle words and sympathy and the hardest warrior would melt into his arms. It was just another kind of conquest for him. Most of them ended up as loyal servants by the time he was done."

"And you learned that interesting talent from him?"

Sesshoumaru snorted derisively, "I want no one in my bed that doesn't want to be there. I have no interest in trying to seduce anyone."

Miroku smiled relieved, "You'd rather act like an icicle until you run across someone determined enough to seduce you, eh?"

"It worked."

Miroku snorted and kissed his chest nibbling at his other nipple. "Don't get smug or I'll have to deflate that swollen ego of yours." He hesitated briefly and looked up into his lover's face, "what did you do with the prisoners?" He had a feeling he did not really want to know the answer, but he had too.

Sesshoumaru looked up his burnished eyes dark and unfathomable. "I killed them."

Miroku paled but nodded, "that may have been... kinder."

"I am what I am, Miroku."

"I know, Sess-kun." Miroku smiled at him and returned to his slow exploration of his lover's body.

"Sess-kun?"

"Aa, MY Sess-kun."

The dog demon shook his head.

Miroku grinned, "sounds like this place was a lot more lively when you were a child."

Sesshoumaru groaned as Miroku's tongue traced a wet path along the engorged vein running along the side of his straining erection. "Hai, while he lived, this palace was alive with people, servants, advisors, petitioners, peddlers, aristocrats, and sycophants. Ah, yes, Miroku..."

He looked up enjoying the site of the reserved older man looking flushed and squirming for more. "But it's empty now except for us. Well, and the others temporarily... Do you like it like that?"

"Aa, I like things quiet and peaceful. You know this is torture don't you?"

"And you're keeping Rin and I anyway."

"Hmm... uh huh, you and Rin are mine... Ah yes!" He cried out bucking up into the hot wet mouth that engulfed him. "No more talk now, sex now." He felt Miroku laugh around his cock and growled softly. He almost missed the muffled question. "Yes, I'll help you help them, just do that again." He closed his eyes as pleasure distracted him from the enormity of the task he had just agreed to help with.


	24. A Kiss

Inuyasha stalked through the woods half-heartedly tracking an elk. The animal caught wind of him and froze a moment then bounded away. He did not bother following it just stared after it. He turned around and nearly ran into Kouga.

"What are you doing, dogface?"

"Hunting, what does it look like, you stupid wolf," he retorted crossly.

"Dunno, but it sure as Hell don't look like hunting to me," Kouga snorted and crossed his arms over his chest looking pointedly after the vanished quarry.

"It was small."

"Yeah right."

"So what exactly did you follow me for, idiot, to point that out." He scowled.

"Nah, Ginta and Hakkaku went with Sesshoumaru and the ningen girl to practice stalking." He sighed a strange expression coming from the normally buoyant young man. "He's a good father, you know. Who would have thought that from the stuckup asshole. I don't get it. They were both terrified of him before and now he has them writing their names and practicing with swords. They're happier here than they ever were with me."

"They're your packmates. They won't forget that no matter how much time Sesshoumaru spends with them."

"Maybe."

"Maybe nothing. You don't need to be jealous."

"Jealous!" Kouga's eyes blazed, "Who said anything about being jealous, dog turd?"

"Wimpy wolf, anybody can see you're jealous as Hell."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Kouga swung a punch in the direction of Inuyasha's chin. The hanyou intercepted it and used it to push Kouga forcefully back into a tree trunk. The wolf youkai hit it hard gasping as the wind was driven from his lungs. He growled and launched himself back at Inuyasha using the tree as a springboard. He hit him low in the midsection sending both of them sliding across the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Inuyasha bit and scratched at the lithe form that seemed to be wrapped around him as they rolled and struggled on the ground. His nostrils were filled with Kouga's scent. He could feel the strong, wiry muscles of his arms and legs, the brush of his hair tickling across his face. He was warm, wonderfully warm. Inuyasha grew suddenly still as something seemed to wash through him, a low heat that was so intense it made him feel nauseous.

Kouga raised his head nostrils flared as Inuyasha stopped struggling and grew still. "What is it?" He looked around the clearing seeing no enemies nothing to explain the sudden lull. Puzzled he looked back down to his companion and gasped in surprise as the hanyou's arms shot up wrapping around his waist and pulling him down against the soft fur of the firerat jacket. "Wh...what are you doing?" Their faces were centimeters apart.

"I...Kouga... You, you're warm." Inuyasha's voice was a soft stutter.

"Are you cold?" Kouga's forearms rested on the ground on either side of Inuyasha's arms and their bodies were pressed together from the middle of his ribcage to their knees. His tail twitched nervously.

"I don't know." Inuyasha's voice was just a whisper. He felt torn between laughing and crying but he did neither instead he held Kouga tighter clinging to him like a life line.

Kouga rested his forehead against Inuyasha's. "Are you cracking up?"

"I don't know. Why aren't you saying something mean?"

"I don't know. I guess I don't want to."

"Can I..." Inuyasha trailed off looking up into Kouga's eyes.

"Can you what?"

Inuyasha did not answer instead he pressed his face up into Kouga's meeting his lips and brushing his own over them.

Kouga jumped up and backed away his hand reaching up to touch his mouth, his eyes were almost comically wide. "Why did you do that?" he meant the words to come out as an arrogant shout, but they sounded more like a half frightened whisper.

"I...don't... I just... " Inuyasha blushed violently.

"You been watching your brother and that fool monk too much, Inuyasha. Neither one of us is that way, even if it does feel good to kiss you or touch you like that, it doesn't mean I like guys or you like guys..." his own face was warming as he realized he was not making any sense. "Oh Hell." He plopped down beside Inuyasha on the grass. "I don't know what to think anymore. I almost wish Naraku was still alive, everything made sense then."

"I know what you mean," Inuyasha sat up beside Kouga. "I'm sorry, Kouga, I shouldn't have done that without asking first."

Kouga shrugged. "I didn't mind it."

"You didn't?"

"I said I didn't what the Hell do you want, a blood oath!"

"Do you always have to be such a loud mouthed jerk?"

"What if I do?"

"Shut up."

"Why should I?"

"Because, I'm trying really hard not to kiss you again and it's hard to concentrate when you're bitching."

"Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you're going to say?" Inuyasha's mouth drew down into a look of disapproval.

"You can kiss me if you want to."

"Huh?"

"You heard me, moron."

Inuyasha started to reply when warm lips closed over his. He closed his eyes and leaned in closer. He felt Kouga's lips part and slipped his tongue into the youkai's mouth deepening the kiss. He felt Kouga's left hand cup his cheek and the right pull him into a rough hug.

It was several hours later when they returned empty handed to Sesshoumaru's castle. They were both quiet, but it was a companionable silence. They kept casting shy glances at each other. They spoke a few brief words of parting including a promise to talk after dinner then went their separate ways.

Once in his room Kouga lay down on the odd raised bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking of Kagome and Inuyasha and all that had happened in the years since the final battle. He examined his feelings toward Inuyasha most closely, for there were certainly feelings there, he could not deny them.

In another room of the vast cast, Inuyasha sat on the floor in front of the fire touching his lips over and over. He and Kouga had kissed like lovers kiss and he had started it, but they both had enjoyed it. If he hadn't Kouga would have pulled away and said something, He was that honest. He was honest, brave, stubborn, and a good person at heart. He wanted to taste him again and he wanted to forget it had ever happened.

"Kagome, why did you leave. I need you, we need you." He closed his eyes and wished for sleep.


	25. Finding Home

Sango finished hanging the door and latched it from the outside. This was the last house in her village. She had repaired them all as well as the temple, the meeting house, the guild hall, and the inn. She had reworked every partially finished and broken weapon as well and burned everything that could not be mended. She had cleaned out the cave where Midoriko's petrified form had once stood. Every remnant of youkai or human in it had been blessed, burned, buried, and blessed again and then she had collapsed the cave roof sealing it once and for all. She had carved headstones for every person in the village crying until her tears ran out and her cheeks were raw. Freshly plowed fields were ready for the spring thaw. Empty storehouses were scrubbed spotless looking forward to the bounty of spring. Firewood was neatly stacked beside every restored house. Now, everything was done. The village was in move in condition. The only thing missing was the people.

Sango checked the pot of stew on the fire into he center of the square then sat down on an upturned log worn smooth by many bottoms over the years it had been used as a cooking stool. She caught the sound of someone's approach, a walker sloshing through the last of winter's snows. She stood lifting her boomerang but not in an aggressive way. It was probably someone from the castle. Shippou bounced up to one shoulder and Kirara to the other both waiting to see who their visitor might be. 

Sesshoumaru and Miroku had come to visit her alone and together. It had surprised her to realize that Miroku felt guilty and Sesshoumaru felt responsible for her because she mattered to Miroku. She strongly suspected he had been patrolling the area around the village and killing all but the very weakest of youkai and all human bandits except those he knew she could polish off easily. Inuyasha visited a lot as well. They would talk into the wee hours of the morning at first mostly about Kagome but more recently he seemed to be dwelling on Kouga instead. She felt a sad smile touch her lips. What would Kagome think of that. Even the wolf boys came often and Rin with them. Jaken would be trudging along with his head hanging low, the very picture of the poor, pitiful baby sitter.

Their visitor finally stepped into view. "Sango!" Hakkaku waved at her a bright smile lighting his face.

The mohawked wolf brother trotted over bringing her a large ram that had been cleaned and dressed then wrapped in the soft fleece.

They always brought her food or supplies of some kind. At first it had bothered her, but then she grew used to it. Hakkaku wasn't alone this time, a small boy of about twelve slunk along at his side. She had to step closer and peer at him to see the delicate pattern of coffee coloured spots on his tawny skin. His cat like ears were totally hidden in an unruly shock of straw coloured hair. His eyes though were just like any peasant child's brown and frightened.

"Hanyou?" she asked softly.

"Aa, Sesshoumaru found him alone in a burned out village on the other side of his border with the cats. He's scared to death of canines and won't eat or speak. He was wondering if you might let him stay here with you a while.

She spoke immediately, "of course he can stay, Hakkaku.

She bent down and ruffled the child's hair. "You can have a whole house of your very own, anyone you like. Do you have a name?"

Hakkaku watched in wonder as the traumatized child opened to the youkai exterminator and even began to speak, telling her how humans had destroyed his small clan thinking they were killing their cattle. They had missed him because he hid under the body of his older sister who was trying to protect him.

The young wolf had wondered what Sesshoumaru was thinking when he had looked up from the child with a contemplative look. Then he had handed the shivering kitten to Hakkaku with instructions. He was uncannily clever sometimes. He admired the human warrior as she went from ice maiden to surrogate mother in the blink of an eye.

Even the poor fox kid seemed to come alive, immediately attaching to the other boy's side telling him about his own family and how they had died too. His eyes were more alive than they had been since the day everything had changed. Sango must have noticed it too because she looked up at him and smiled. 

He blushed at the pure gratitude in her warm eyes. "I...I'm going to h... hunt some more, you'll need more furs for the kids." He took off with speed that would have made Kouga proud.


	26. Hunting

Inuyasha crouched beneath a flowering cherry tree every muscle harp string tense. The sounds of scuffling and snorting grew closer as the herd of water bison began to file past him on the game trail. He found his mark a large male in his third season with the scars to show he was old enough to challenge the herd bull. He pounced out sending the animals into a panic. Deftly he dodged the heavily muscled grazers and cut out the mark separating it from its companions and sending it running alone down an open field.

He felt a smile touch his lips as adrenaline sang through his veins and the wind whipped his hair out behind him. There was a peace in giving in to his animal side, a satisfaction from doing what animals do and not having to think about right and wrong, good and bad, past and future. He felt alive. He felt strong. He felt whole.

The walls of the canyon began to slope up and a dark shadow lunged from the undergrowth hurtling at the running animal at an intercepting angle. Inuyasha never slacked his pace as the dark form resolved into a wolf youkai who hit the animal with enough forced to stagger it. Kouga locked onto its throat with his long fangs crushing the windpipe closed as Inuyasha leaped on its back. Its heart thundered wildly as it tried to pull free. A quick slash of his claws across the tendons of its hind legs and it went down, dog and wolf still holding tightly as its struggles weakened then ceased.

Inuyasha raised his head, eyes glittering and feral to meet blue eyes that gleamed with the same wild joy.

"Good one, Mutt face, not all stringy and pitiful, " Kouga teased.

Inuyasha snorted, "feh, you're getting fat and lazy, wimpy wolf. What was that ambling trot back there? I thought you were fast."

They scuffled around a while playfully then dressed out the animal and carried it back to the castle. They had grown much closer in the months since their strange evening of holding and kissing one another though it hadn't happened again. Sometimes they talked but most times they just sat close together, drawing strength and comfort from the odd bond between them. Times like that, both could feel Kagome's presence like a palpable air in the room around them. It soothed and lulled them into restful contemplation. More times than not they would fall asleep like that, curled together in front of the fire.

Ginta and Rin watched them as they approached the gate from a perch high on top of the castle wall. "Why don't grownups ever understand anything?" the human girl asked.

"Hey, I'm a grownup too, and I'm not that dumb."

She smiled and giggled leaning on the wolfling's arm. "No, Ginta is fun, like a kid."

"Yeah right. Hey... wait... what does that mean?"

"It means we have to figure out how to make Kouga-sama and Inuyasha-sama stop acting dumb."

"How do we do that?"

"Let's ask Miroku-sama and Jaken-sama to help."

"What if they tell them."

"They won't."

"How do you know, Rin?"

"Because I pay attention."

"Huh?"

"Now jump me back down."

"Okay." The two were busily gathering flowers when Kouga and Inuyasha passed them heading for the kitchen.

From the window above, Sesshoumaru watched the two.

"They're up to something," a soft voice purred at his ear as warm arms slipped around his waist.

"I believe you are correct my one." He turned around pulling Miroku close and kissing his forehead. "We should deal with it now."

"Hmm, I think we should let them be."

"Oh? Why is that? Are you in on it as well?"

The former monk laughed, "no, at least not yet, though I think I want to get the details just to satisfy my curiosity."

"You and Rin both have entirely to much of that," the youkai remarked dryly.

"But you love us anyway."

"Oh do I?"

"Uh huh, you love us and if you refuse to admit it, I shall be forced to use drastic measures to prove my point."

"Ah so... drastic measures, such as?"

"Such as this..."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock as Miroku dropped to his knees before him. A few moments later they glazed over with pleasure as he slid down the wall on legs that were suddenly weak. "Pervert," he groaned affectionately. A wicked and somewhat muffled chuckle was his only reply.

Kouga wrinkled his nose as he walked out into the main hall. "They're at it again."

"When aren't they?" Inuyasha growled. "I never would have believed Sesshoumaru was as into it as Miroku."

Kouga snorted, "that's what happens when you hold back too long. Bet he was a virgin when Miroku got hold of his ass."

Inuyasha laughed, "I kind of doubt that. But I bet Miroku has taught him a thing or two."

Kouga laughed with him.

"Let's get cleaned up and rest before dinner, Wimpy Wolf."

"Alright, Dog Crap."

The two retired to the bathhouse then Kouga's rooms unaware that forces were beginning to move against them within the walls of the ancient stone keep.

Rin, Jaken, and Ginta crept up to the doorway listening intently for any weird sounds. Hearing none, Jaken nudged the door open and peeped inside. He turned a peculiar color and shut the door quickly and quietly. "Um, uh, we'll, in a little while, ask, uh Miroku to, um , ask, whatever..."

Rin looked at him oddly as he dragged both of them away from the door quickly. "Jaken is so weird,"

Ginta nodded his agreement.


	27. Brothers

Inuyasha stepped into the training room quietly watching Sesshoumaru dance gracefully through his sword exercises. He and his half brother had tried to talk, but they always seemed to trail off into an uncomfortable silence before they could actually say anything important. The hanyou did want to heal the wounds of the past, but it was so hard to see the man he now knew his brother was through the symbol his mind had made out of him. The loving, overprotective mate and father who it seemed shockingly enough liked kids and flowers and music was shadowed by the cold, heartless beast that had driven him like chaff before a wind, destroyed what little self esteem he had ever possessed, and pursued him more relentlessly than any enemy. His eyes moved over the tall, lean form. Now that he seen the ghost of his father and could recall what he looked like, he had decided Sesshoumaru looked more like his mother and if anyone took after Canis it was him. For once, Miroku was not watching his mate. He and Rin had slipped off someplace with a box of toys and a secretive look.

He picked a sword from a rack on the wall settling his own in its place and stepped out into the straw padded arena. The expensive mirrors reflected his thoughtful expression as he approached and dropped into a challenging position. When Sesshoumaru turned and raised his own practice blade into an answering stance a familiar thrill ran through him. They did not need words to communicate this way. This they knew, the clang of steel on steel, the deadly dance of survival and dominance. They sparred in silence, neither one giving an inch or pulling a blow. The blades were blunt, but still dangerous. They clanged and hissed, the only sound other than the occasional grunt as one or both struck flesh instead of metal.

Sesshoumaru ended the match by simply tossing his blade onto a bench and catching Inuyasha's wrist. "Enough. It is time to prepare for dinner."

Inuyasha nodded and lowered the blade tossing it over onto the same bench. He started to walk away but something stopped him. Without turning to look at his brother, he spoke softly. "What happened."

"Hmm? What happened when?"

"That day in the woods. For a moment I thought something was changing then you walked away. Why do we hate each other?"

Sesshoumaru was silent a long time. He turned and looked at Inuyasha's back raising his eyes as his brother turned and met them. "It began with your mother. Understand that Father made me in his image, raised me to be his heir and the ultimate ideal of what a youkai should be. Centuries of training and discipline burned away anything that moght be weakness, compassion, pity, love, affection, playfulness. He turned me into the name he gave me, the killing perfection." 

"I lived for my duty and his honor, everything I ever did was to win his approval. I gathered power, fed on it ruthlessly, I lived to conquer, for the day I would at last surpass him and reach my own destiny. One day I would challenge him and prove to myself and everyone that I was Sesshoumaru."

"Then one day he found a love strong enough to break through the barriers around his heart and let him see through his heart's eye. He loved her, Inuyasha, and he loved you before you were even born, but his heart was not strong enough to love the monster he had created. I confronted him only to be told that everything I had every believed, the very foundations of who I was, all those lessons he himself taught me were wrong. I was supposed to forget everything I thought I knew and become something else because OOPS! He was wrong." 

"Any last desire to please Father and win his respect that still lived in my heart died one day as we stood beside the ocean beneath a stormy sky. The day he asked me if there was nothing I cared for enough to protect. Because, my brother, I could see in face the truth. He cared enough to die for her and her unborn child, but not enough to live for me. I needed him and it did not matter because I did not matter."

"That can't be true," Inuyasha whispered, "how could he love one son and not the other?"

"In that moment when I realized the truth, everything inside of me turned to ice. The only warmth left to me was rage and hatred so I clung to them and let the ice take everything that could still hurt and regret and feel cheated. That day you were born. All those years later in the forest you spat my own words back at me and for just a moment, I forgot."

"I..I'm sorry. I did... didn't..." He trailed off as the lump in his throat choked his voice from him and tears overflowed his eyes.

Sesshoumaru's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Do not grieve, little brother. Time has given me back what I lost. I am learning to forgive and to love again. I have forgiven him and her and realized you were never to blame. I am growing up, I suppose."

Inuyasha walked over to him keeping their eyes locked and deliberately slid his arms around him in a comforting embrace. Sesshoumaru returned it hesitantly. They remained like that as old wounds bled and began the slow process of healing at long last until a servant came to announce dinner.


	28. Sango and Hakkaku

Sango laughed, really laughed, for the first time in months as Chicharra, the cat hanyou, easily eluded Hakkaku's lunge sending the wolf youkai stumbling into a young cherry tree causing the fat ripe fruit to rain down. The two boys grinned and continued their horseplay totally unaware of the fox demon creeping up on them from behind a nearby rock. Shippou pounced landing squarely on Hakkaku's back where he clung like a burr kicking the wolfling like a rider on a mean horse. Hakkaku spun around giving the youngest boy the perfect opportunity to trip him ans send them all sprawling on the fresh green grass.

Sango shook her head and gathered the fruit piling it on the baskets that were already heavy laden. Tomorrow she would have them help her spread them on clean white cloths to dry in the early summer sun. The fields were doing well, Hakkaku was providing all the meat they could ask for both for smoking and for their own use. Shippou was growing at an incredible pace and had a marvelous knack for finding herbs and mushrooms and useful medicinals in the forest. They were living quite comfortably and peacefully. What they could not provide on their own seemed to appear out of nowhere with a little help from their friends. 

She found herself watching the wolf youkai more and more often lately. His hair was growing longer and thicker and he was finally developing eyebrows. He had bright hazel eyes that seemed perpetually full of good humor. It was true that he was scrawny and not overly brave, and by no means was he the sharpest arrow in the quiver, but he was sweet, good natured, and did not have the slightest problem in accepting both an orphened kitsune and a hanyou, a cat hanyou at that. He might not be the stern and protective father, but he was certainly the cool, protective older brother type.

She called them in for lunch and ladled up bowls of rice and chicken while they laughed and talked about the day's misadventures. The sun was warm and it was reaching inside of her and chasing away the shadows that had kept her locked in her own personal winter for so long.

She jumped when she heard the sound of approaching hooves. Iron shod hooves, she noted, a local warlord or band of wandering soldiers. She stood hefting her boomerang but not in a threatening position. She saw Hakkaku lift the young hanyou and silently back into the shadowed doorway of the nearest hut. She smiled her approval and saw him flash her a toothy grin in return. His eyes were a welcome weight on her back as she waited with Kirara on her right and Shippou on her left.

The warlord himself had come seeking her out. The demon troubling his territory was a large and ugly troll with a taste for human flesh. His offer was generous and she accepted. Three days later she was back in business as a youkai exterminator and celebrating her victory with a feast just as if the rest of her clan were still there. Hakkaku stayed close to her side and made sure her wine glass stayed full and Chicharra stayed out of trouble. The others came too and for the first time, she was able to embrace Miroku in a warm welcome without pain or jealousy. She felt the weight of eyes on her and caught Sesshoumaru's gaze. Her cheeks heated, she felt certain that was a glow of approval deep in the molten gold orbs. She looked away and caught Kouga watching Hakkaku with a rueful half-grin that made her wonder what the expression meant. Inuyasha and Shippou argued and fussed just like old times. 

As she gazed at them tusselling around she seemed to feel the gentle touch of Kagome's smile. Her gaze cut up to the sky in time to see a shooting star streak past. "Wherever you are, Kagome, be happy." 

After a week everyone left to head back to Sesshoumaru's keep, except for Hakkaku. She had seen Kouga talking earnestly to him their last night there and she was burning with curiosity to know the details. She finally found the right moment to ask him after they had put the young ones to bed and was startled to see him blush.

"Uh, Kouga thinks that I'm old enough to start acting like a grownup instead of a half-grown kid. He thinks it's okay if I stay here since I have been anyway as long as I remember I'm part of the pack. Uh, that is as long as it's okay with you if I stay here."

"Of course it is. I like you here." Sango blushed and they both looked quickly away up at the setting sun. She froze as she felt a warm, clawed hand slip over hers where she braced herself on the ground. After a while, she scooted just a bit so that she could feel his solid presence beside her.

"I like being here," he said softly.

She leaned a little against his shoulder and watched the stars coming out.


	29. Asking for Help

"You two are getting along better," Miroku whispered hoarsely against Sesshoumaru's ear.

"Hmm? Who?"

"You and Inuyasha."

"Mm."

"Are you listening to me?" His voice held the old familiar teasing.

"You are on my back and speaking two inches from my ear. How could I not listen?"

Miroku laughed and kissed his neck running his hands possessively along his lover's sides. "There is a difference between hearing and listening you know."

"Hmph."

He carefully withdrew from his mate's body but did not leave his position draped over his back as the dog demon lay sprawled on his stomach. It was just way too comfortable right where he was. He lifted the thick mane of silvery hair moving it to one side so he could kiss between his shoulder blades. "Well, I'm proud of both of you, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Aa."

Sesshoumaru was relaxed still wrapped in the afterglow of sex. It was so easy to talk to Miroku, to speak of things he had never shared before. "I regret what lies between us. I am trying."

"I know you are and it makes me so proud of you."

Sesshoumaru was silent a while. "These things do not come easily for me, emotions, compassion, forgiveness. I am fighting in the dark against an enemy I've never seen."

"It's an unknown to you," Miroku's voice was sympathetic, "strange and disconcerting, a seed of chaos in your otherwise orderly world."

"Hm, you are smarter than you look."

"Thank you." He started to say something then the impact of the statement hit him, "are you saying I look dumb?"

His partner said nothing but the body beneath him shook.

"Are you laughing at me?" His voice was mock incredulous. "You are! You're teasing then laughing at me!"

"Would I do that?"

His voice was so bland that Miroku paused for a moment, uncertain, only to feel the silent laughter again. "You are so in trouble, big dog!"

"I am so afraid."

Miroku dug his fingers in tickling along Sesshoumaru's side. "Bad dog, picking on a poor helpless human!"

"Helpless my ass."

"And a fine ass it is," Miroku purred rising to his knees and lightly slapping the fair bottom in question. A second later he was pinned to the bed with Sesshoumaru sitting across his chest. "You are so fast."

"You keep saying that." Sesshoumaru gazed down at the dark haired young man with an intensity few could meet.

Miroku stared back up at him captivated. He had learned firsthand that an exterior of ice could hide away a core of fiery passion that raged and burned and grew like wildfire in the dry season. He had ignited the flames and now they burned uncontrolled whenever they touched or kissed or held one another. He had accepted the fact that he was now ruined for any other lover. Sesshoumaru had set him free and in the same moment bound him in new chains, chains he would never willingly break. Soft words of love escaped his mouth driven out by his thundering heart. That heart swelled and ached in happiness as the words were returned in a deep, rich voice.

Sesshoumaru lifted him to his lap and Miroku slipped his arms around his lover's neck rising on his knees. Their bodies pressed close mimicking their mouths as they kissed. Their hands moved over one another sometimes gentle and soothing, sometimes rough with the hungry need rising once more between them. He moaned tossing his head back and baring his neck as long, skilled fingers prepared the way for his mate's length. Sharp teeth grazed the pale scar at the junction of neck and shoulder where Sesshoumaru had laid his mark on him.

He cried out with abandon as he sank down on the thick shaft. They moved together easily. They both had enormous sexual appetites and both were rather adventurous so if there was friction in their relationship, it did not rise out of sexual incompatibility.

Miroku pressed his forehead to Sesshoumaru's cupping his beautiful face. "You have the most incredible stamina."

"Are you in pain or too tired?" There was concern in the velvet voice that touched deeply into the human's heart.

"No, just glad to find someone who can keep up with me."

"I will always be right beside you."

Miroku held him tighter holding that vow in his soul and branding it in his memory. He never even noticed his seed erupting between their bodies. Sesshoumaru kissed him hard as the human clenched tight around him growling into his mouth as he reached his own climax. He continued to thrust for a while until his tremors subsided. He released his lover's lips to pant for air.

"You really look canine when you do that. Hmm, wonder if I could train you to sit up and beg," he teased.

"Unlikely."

Miroku caught the glint in his eyes and the tilt of his head, and noted that his lips relaxed just a little. He was teasing and it was getting easier to read him.

Out of the blue, the dog demon turned serious. A frown tugged the corner of those same lips and his brows drew together slightly.

Miroku had grown accustomed to the abrupt, if almost undetectable mood changes. "What is it?"

"The wolfling has not returned from the exterminator's village yet. He usually reports to Kouga the first week of the moon cycle. He is late."

Miroku climbed off of his mate and leaned against the remnant of his left arm. "Do you suspect something is wrong?"

"No, she is a capable woman and the pup is strong enough to give her an added edge as long as he obeys her so well as he does. It merely is a deviation from the normal routine."

"My poor baby, I know how terrible it is when the routine deviates."

Sesshoumaru looked back at Miroku suspiciously, "you're doing it again."

"Doing what?" he asked with mock innocence.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed.

"You're face is going to freeze like that, pretty dog boy."

The eyes flew wide, "I AM NOT PRETTY. Nor am I a boy."

Miroku laughed, "you're as pretty as those little yellow flowers you like to wear in your hair." His grin grew broader as a faint flush crossed Sesshoumaru's cheeks.

"Idiot monk," he softened the words by nuzzling his neck.

"Show me your higher form."

"What?" The request caught him off guard. "Why?"

"Because I asked you to."

He considered the request and found no reason to refuse it. He rose from the bed and moved to the middle of the open part of his room. A pinkish light engulfed him and youki winds surrounded him lashing his hair up over his head. His eyes flushed red and his face began to elongate into a muzzle. His claws shot out as his hands started to curl into paws. The light obscured him from vision in a bright flash and gradually cleared to reveal the giant dog that barely cleared the ceiling and filled the huge room making it seem small and cramped.

Miroku reached up to caress the broad muzzle as it came to rest on the bed in front of him. He felt small, but also safe beside the huge animal. He laughed as a huge rough tongue lapped at him, cleaning away the traces of the last four hours of love making. His mate seemed to deliberately take his time over the ticklish spots.

"You always groom me in this form! Oh, I nearly forgot." His fingers skillfully slid through the demon dog's fur scratching his ears and eliciting a most blissful expression. "Rin, Ginta, and Jaken pointed something out to me a little while back."

The woof he got in reply was heavily laden with unmistakable suspicion.

Miroku kept on his best innocent look. "We need your help with something."

Scarlet eyes shifted too look at him.


	30. Rin and Ginta

Sesshoumaru paused in the marble archway leading to the training arena. He could not believe he was doing this. His eyes moved down to the two combatants circling each other on the sawdust covered floor below. Inuyasha had gotten it into his head to teach Kouga how to actually use the sword he always wore as more than a decoration. They were spending every evening in here cursing at one another as far as he could see.

He looked closely for any signs of what his mate had described. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, nothing he was certain of anyway. He snorted inelegantly under his breath. As if he knew what to look for in such a situation anyway.

"You owe me, Miroku," He muttered under his breath.

It occurred to him that there was only one person who could have told the monk that he would have a better chance of getting what he wanted if he asked him in higher form. Only one person knew how good it felt to his have his floppy ears scratched at the base. He was beginning to suspect that Rin was the mastermind behind this scheme. The thought made him wonder about Miroku's little seduction plan as well. The memory of that night made him blush even now. This embarrassment thing was getting to be a habit and he knew exactly who to blame for that.

He gathered his composure and swept into the room all business as usual. Without bothering with formalities he stated his reason for interrupting.

"Inuyasha, since we have a truce and you are here, it is time you took up some of your duties as Prince of the Western Lands."

"Prince? What the Hell do you mean prince?" Inuyasha ignored Kouga's snort of suppressed laughter.

Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly but his expression never faltered. He spoke slowly and clearly using small words. "I am Lord of the Western Lands. You are my nearest, living blood relative. Unless Miroku suddenly changes sex, I will have no children as heirs while he lives. Therefore, you are the heir. The prince. Understand?"

Inuyasha twitched at the condescending tone. "I guess so."

"Anyway. I have some errands to attend to and I want to take Miroku and Rin and Ginta with me. I'm leaving you in charge. If Kouga will help you, you'll be fine."

"What does being in charge consist of?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"And what kind of help would he need?" Kouga added curiously.

"I have some important items being delivered. I want you to make sure they arrive safely and then keep them safe until I get back."

"Guard duty?" Kouga asked knowingly.

"Something like that." Sesshoumaru conceded.

"Do I have a choice?" Inuyasha scowled.

"Oh, there are always choices, sometimes though, there is only one that you will not regret later."

Inuyasha relaxed a little at the mild threat. That side of Sesshoumaru he understood and almost trusted. "Keh, whatever."

Sesshoumaru nodded again then turned an unfathomable look on Kouga.

"I'll keep him in line, Big Dog," Kouga quipped irreverently.

It was Sesshoumaru's turn to twitch as Inuyasha smothered a laugh.

He turned to go but the wolf demon stopped him with a question, "why do you want to take Ginta?"

"Rin wants him to come."

"They like each other you know."

"I know."

"You have a problem with that?" Kouga lifted his chin letting a hint of arrogance into his voice.

"None at all. You?"

"No." Kouga relaxed and leveled a pleased grin on the dog demon. "looks like we'll have some business to attend to pretty soon, too. Eh?"

"Hai."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

"I'll explain it later, mutt face."

"Wimpy wolf, stop calling me that!"

"Who's going to make me?"

"Who do you think, jerk?"

Sesshoumaru walked away from the rising voices wondering if his mate was utterly insane. Now he had to plan the 'delivery'. Miroku had neatly left that part for him to figure out. He wore a sour expression as he breezed through the hallways to his study. He barely noticed Rin and Ginta sitting at a low table and diligently practicing their writing.

Their scholarly pursuits ended just about the time Sesshoumaru was out of sight. Once the coast was clear, they crept back up the stairs to the balcony where they could spy down on Inuyasha and Kouga. Rin leaned over a little to catch their words as they sparred.

Kouga fainted low with his sword then brought it up suddenly only to have it blocked with a downward sweep of Inuyasha's practice blade that jolted his arm all the way to his elbow. He cursed and stepped back shaking out the tingling arm.

"Watch me, dumb ass. Watch the eyes, not the swords."

"Shut up, dog shit."

"You're not tired already are you, wimp."

"Hell no, I'm just sick of your mouth."

"You bitch and moan like a girl."

"Well kiss my girly ass, you half witted son of..."

The rest of the exchange was blocked out by Ginta's warm hands closing over her ears. Rin giggled and leaned back into the wolf youkai. His arms slipped down to hold her in warm hug.

"Miroku-sama got Sesshoumaru-sama to help."

"Hai, I guess he did."

"So I win!"

Rin held her hand out expectantly and smiled when he dropped the bear tooth into it. He had even strung it on a leather cord so she could wear it as a necklace. She squealed trying her best to keep it down and turned in his arms hugging him tightly.

Ginta returned the hug careful not to hurt her and buried his nose in her clean, soft hair so he could fill his senses with her scent of soap and flowers and female. She was so much like a flower, one of those white ones with the yellow centers, daisies she called them, clean and bright and sweet and simple. He stroked her hair tenderly and she snuggled against him slipping the necklace over her head.

His eyes moved down to Kouga nervously. Soon he would have to tell his leader what he was feeling and if Kouga did not kill him, he would have to tell Sesshoumaru next. Rin was not worried about that, but then again, Rin did not worry about much of anything and that was just how he wanted her to stay. That was one of the many things that made him love her.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head. He and Hakkaku were both falling for humans. It was strange since once they had seen humans as nothing more than food. That was before Kagome though, and before Naraku, and way before this new life. He hugged Rin just a bit tighter.

Hakkaku had come creeping into the garden a week ago to talk to him. He and Sango were falling in love, and the younger boys were like his brothers. They were his family in his heart already, even though he and Sango had done no more than hold hands so far. Hakkaku had expressed a worry that had since turned into a full blown fear in Ginta's mind.

Kouga as pack leader was responsible for the continuation of their bloodline. If he took a male mate, like Inuyasha, he could not produce pups. That meant one of his last two brothers had to do it, and if they both took human mates, their children would be hanyou. The pure blood line would die out.

He felt Rin's delicate arms slip around his neck. She was so warm and soft and trusting. He loved her, he wanted no one else. Yet, he loved his brother too. They had been there for each other through hell and back. Surely, Kouga would not make them choose one's happiness over the other.

His stomach hurt and his nerves were shot, but he would not let Rin see his fear. Nothing should ever worry his little flower. He would do whatever it took to keep them together no matter what Kouga or Sesshoumaru thought, even if he was terrified of what might happen. For her, he would be brave.

Rin was still. She knew something was bothering Ginta. She could feel it in the tenseness of his body, read it in his eyes. She knew from many years of following Sesshoumaru and watching him and the others around him that sometimes you just had to let them figure it out themselves and wait for them to decide to talk to you on their own. She rested her ear over his chest listening to his steady heartbeat. She loved her wolfling and respected him. Whatever was bothering him would be all right in the end. She knew it, the way she just knew things sometimes. She smiled as she heard Kouga shout a string of curses down below them and Inuyasha answer with his own shouts.


	31. Box of Cats

Inuyasha scowled at the messenger. The messenger scowled back. Hanyou and youkai both were frozen neither willing to budge. Kouga was of little help to him in the contest of wills as he was literally rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Shut up! It's not funny! " He aimed a kick at Kouga's thigh. "No way am I going to be responsible for those... those... things!"

"Oh man, I know Sesshoumaru did this on purpose, oh my sides hurt!" Kouga launched into another round of guffaws.

"Just sign here saying I brought them, or X it or anything and let me get out of here!"

"Take them back!"

"And have the Western Inutaishou rip my head off for disobeying him, I don't think so! He said to bring them and deliver them directly to a hanyou in a red coat. You're a hanyou, that coat is red, so you get the whole lot of them."

"Just sign it moron, you won't win."

"Shut up, wimpy wolf!"

"Be good or I'll take off and leave them to you by yourself."

Inuyasha immediately shut up and signed the form looking at the crate dejectedly.

The jackal youkai fled quickly before he changed his mind calling out over his shoulder, "don't forget to feed and water them!"

Inuyasha paled as he walked over to the slat sided box and gazed in at the squirming, wriggling mass of kittens. He was greeted with a plaintive chorus of high pitched mews that laid his ears back. "What the hell do I do with a bunch of cats."

"They're just kittens, how much trouble could they be?" Kouga asked leaning on his shoulder still a little out of breath from laughing.

Inuyasha felt a sudden chill of foreboding at his words. As if in agreement, the morning sun slipped behind a dark cloud bank and raindrops began to splatter the pavings stones around them.

By noon the shower had escalated into a real thunder storm and the two canines had discovered that kittens did not like storms. Inuyasha was sprawled in an exhausted heap in front of the fire, kittens clinging to his haori like burrs. Their claws dug in and they whined horrifically every time the thunder boomed. He glared at Kouga who was sound asleep across his lap. He could not be very upset with the wolf though, he had been the one to feed the little demons and had cleaned up their messes when they mistook a meditation garden full of sand, rocks, and plants for an outhouse.

His hand strayed to the dark ponytail playing with it. He was kind of cute when he was asleep. His face was boyish and innocent when he was not running his mouth. He could see why Kagome had refused to hurt his feelings and tell him to get lost. He was so open, his eyes, his face, they hid nothing. There was a great deal to admire about him if he was honest with himself. His fingers moved lightly across his face, along the high cheekbones and firm jaw to the graceful neck. His skin was warm and such a rich brown from the sun. Kouga was the picture of the athletic and adventurous outdoorsman.

He had kissed those lips that were now slightly parted in sleep. He had felt his strong, wiry body in his arms. They had talked since then, talked a lot, and touched each other just a little more intimately than friends would, but neither one of them really knew what to do next and whether they wanted there to be a next. Lying here like this it was easy to picture what it might be like to be with someone. He had always been alone except for the brief time after he had opened his heart to Kagome. She had taught him to look beyond himself and the bitter confines of his experience to the goodness in others and in the world. Before her, he would never have seen Kouga as anything but a enemy, yet another youkai who looked down on him for his mixed blood. She opened his eyes and opened his heart, then she had been yanked away from him.

He grunted as a kitten climbed up his chest to snuggle down on his shoulder.

Could it be the same for Kouga? Before her, he had been desperate for power to protect his clan. He had seen humans as nothing more than food in a pinch. She had changed him too. After Kagura had destroyed his tribe he had been bent on vengeance and could so easily have become embittered and lost his fine spirit, but she had been there to give him a dream, a reason to fight on. She had shown him the value of all life, human and otherwise.

A kitten squawked in protest as he bent suddenly and pressed his lips to Kouga's needing desperately to touch him. He felt feathery lashes flutter against his cheek then a hand tangled in his hair pulling him even closer. Indignant yowls erupted as the kittens were forced from their warm rest and spilled out onto the floor. Kouga's mouth opened to him and he slid his tongue inside tasting the wolf demon. Kouga's tongue caressed his in a sensual dance. The kiss was broken abruptly when something latched onto his ear.

He yelped and pulled away from Kouga snatching the cream coloured feline from his shoulder. When Kouga started laughing, he felt a surge of anger but it faded quickly when he looked down into dancing blue eyes and that goofy grin that made him want to smile back. "Idiot wolf," he murmured affectionately.

"Dumb dog, quit playing with the cats and play with me."

"I want, I don't know what I want."

Kouga grew serious sitting up to face him. "Is this real, do we feel this for each other or is it just because we both loved her?"

Inuyasha chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't know."

Kouga sighed, "I don't know either Inuyasha. We could do something we regret and then not be able to take it back later."

"Yeah, that could be so." He cast his eyes downward absently detaching a calico intent on savaging his big toe. He looked up again when Kouga's voice reached his ears.

"But I'm tired of being alone."

His chest squeezed tight and his eyes hurt. "Me too." He looked up at the ceiling blinking rapidly.

He was caught completely off guard when Kouga tackled him to the floor straddling his waist. His eyes widened as he looked up into eyes that blazed an uncanny crystal blue. The wolf demon was showing his demon form, something Inuyasha had never seen from him. His lips were pulled back from fangs that were suddenly much longer and his elongated claws bit into Inuyasha's shoulders.

"What are you doing, Kouga?" He tried to struggle free but stopped at a dangerous snarl. "What the hell has got into you?"

Kouga answered by claiming his mouth fiercely. The sharp fangs clicked against his own, the long tongue thrust into his mouth coaxing his to respond. His eyes closed of their own volition as he opened up to the younger man. This kiss was nothing like the ones they had shared before, it was hungry, demanding, needful.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and relaxed into it wrapping his arms around Kouga's shoulders and returning it with the same desperate passion. Fangs clicked together and it was impossible to tell which growls were his and which were Kouga's. They writhed together on the floor grinding their bodies against one another, hands roaming wherever they pleased and lips locked in a violent battle.

The first crash was lost in the thundering of their heart, the second one froze them in place. Inuyasha was the first to catch his breath, "oh shit, where are the cats?"

"I don't see any of them."

"Damn."

The sound of glass shattering had both of them on their feet and running.

Kouga skidded to a halt looking into the hallway. The marble corridor was lines with stands sporting expensive vases and sculptures, or rather... it had been lined with stands and artwork. The wolf youkai paled. Inuyasha drew up to his side and whimpered. Fourteen kittens looked up innocently from the debris. The fifteenth wore a smug expression and was calmly licking it's foot.

"He's going to kill us." Kouga spoke softly.

"Not if I get to that cruel son of a bitch first."


	32. Human Tears

"The young ones are asleep." Miroku sidled up to his mate where he sat against the cave wall. The cave was actually just a hollow under the bank sheltered from the driving rain by two large tree trunks fallen up against it.

"And your point is" Sesshoumaru's voice was uninflected and his eyes never moved from where they were staring out at the downpour.

Miroku straddled his lap resting his hands on his shoulders being careful of his armour. The dog demon got moody when it was rainy and grey. At home he holed up in the library and shut them out, but out here in the wild he could not close a door on him and he intended to alter his mood here and now. "My point is, you've been lost in thought way too long, my demon lover. Time to come back to me."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Sesshoumaru's slipping his tongue out to trace his lower lip suggestively. He started as Sesshoumaru took his mouth and deepened the kiss with a fierceness he had not expected. He surrendered his mouth willingly to his lover's probing tongue. His fangs scraped against his lips making him shiver. His arms slipped around his neck beneath the heavy fall of hair and his body moulded itself to the unyielding breastplate the demon lord wore. He moaned as strong hands pressed into his back trailing from between his shoulder blades down to his ass then back up to the small of his back.

"Free me."

Sesshoumaru's command was more growl than request and Miroku shivered again obeying instantly. His hands fumbled a little in his hurry to open the ties on the elaborate Hakuma, but finely he had his hands on the long, thick shaft, It was hot and pulsed strongly in his grip and his mouth watered to taste it, but he could feel Sesshoumaru's need radiating from him. When he was this way it was best to just let him control the steps. He bit his tongue to keep from shouting encouragement as the hands left him and slid up under his robes. His small clothes were unfastened and shoved aside. Sesshoumaru was going to take him unprepared. He would hurt tomorrow for the long day of training but it would be worth it.

His brows rose as he felt a slick finger slide inside him, then a second stretching him. He knew they had not brought any oil so the lubricant was something else. "What are..."

"Hush." Any further questions were muffled by a hungry mouth.

He closed his eyes giving himself over to the older man and the sensations coursing through his body from his mouth and the fingers delving into his body faster and deeper. He slid one hand down to own aching erection only to be stopped by a warning growl and a small nip to his lower lip. He made a sound of frustration but it did not last long because he was being lowered onto something longer and harder than those talented fingers. It had also been coated with the thick fluid and once past his ring of muscle filled him pressing on all the places inside that made him feel like his head was going to explode. He cried out grateful for the mouth that commanded his swallowing the sound. Otherwise, he would have been explaining the facts of life to the young ones while Sesshoumaru sat back and smirked at him.

Sesshoumaru released his mouth once he was seated firmly in his lap to attack his neck and shoulders rooting past the material of his robes. He normally did not allow any clothes to separate them, but the shapeless monk robes he wore while training would hide their actions from curious eyes that might chance to awaken. He brought one hand down under Miroku squeezing one firm cheek as he began to thrust up into the hot sheath that gripped him so deliciously. The other hand took a hold on Miroku's manhood stroking it in time with his movements.

Miroku arched his back panting as he was assaulted by waves of pleasure from both sides. He closed his eyes savoring the sensations awakening in his body. His knees braced against the floor providing him leverage so that he could come down as the pale youkai thrust up into him. The sound of the rain mingled with the wet slapping of their bodies as the pace grew faster and stronger. Sesshoumaru pushed him to the limit of his human strength often, but he never crossed the line and hurt him. His control was as incredible as his strength and stamina.

He leaned up to a pointed ear and lathed it with his tongue enjoying the shudders than ran through the powerful warrior beneath him. When it was thoroughly wet he whispered a detailed description of what he was feeling into it. It drove Sesshoumaru insane most times and this one was no different. He found himself flat on his back with his robe rucked up to his chest, any concern for hiding their actions lost in passion. His fingers scrabbled at the mossy floor seeking purchase as his hips were lifted so his lover could drive straight down into him.

"Yes! Oh yes Sesshoumaru! Harder!"

Sesshoumaru growled a soft warning and Miroku realized he was shouting. He bit down on the palm of his hand to keep from crying out. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened ever so slightly as they looked down at him. He raised his free hand and touched his cheek tracing the maroon stripes. He was warm and solid and real.

'I love Sesshoumaru and he loves me.' His mind reeled at the impossible thought. He raised his other hand so that the perfect face was framed between his them, hands that were whole and free of his curse. 'A demon made me whole, made me happy. How could this be?'

His hands slid down over the inhumanly perfect face and along his arms noting the coolness of the prosthetic compared to his real arm. It struck him then that he was not going to get slapped for his familiarity.   
'I can touch all I want.'

His hands worshipped the sleek waist and caressed the narrow hips then froze as they encountered an unexpected stickiness on his muscular thigh. He raised his hand languidly up to his face, he was so close to release right now, he could not take much more.

Red, his hand was covered in red. He brought it to his nose, salty tang of metal, blood. His blood. He had drawn his own blood and used it to ease the way and save him pain. His heart lurched as he was filled with a liquid heat and his own seed spattered on his belly.

"Miroku? Miroku?"

The worried voice finally reached through the fog of release. "Sess? What is it?"

"You're crying, did I hurt you?"

He smiled realizing his cheeks were indeed wet, "No, my one, you did not hurt me. You sacrificed your own blood, suffered to save me pain. I love you so much."

Sesshoumaru sat back up shaking his head and looking mildly annoyed which consisted of a tightness of the lower lip and lowering of his brows, "foolish humans and their leaking eyes. You and Rin both cry when you are sad and cry when you are happy. How am I supposed to know the difference."

Miroku could not help himself he started laughing and could not stop. He sat up too, wincing a bit at the pull of raw flesh, and buried his laughter in moonlight silver silk.

"Hmph, you are mad, monk. You know that, don't you?"

"Hai, mad for you, you big, fluffy, dog."

"I am not fluffy."

"Yes you are."

"Am not."

Miroku laughed again closing his eyes in simple happiness. He smiled as he felt Sesshoumaru nuzzle his neck.

"Wonder how Inuyasha and Kouga are getting along?"

"Those idiots ought to be having fun by now."

"What did you have shipped in? You never told me."

"No I did not tell you."

"Are you going too?" He nearly jumped as Sesshoumaru laughed softly next to his ear. "You laughed, you have got to tell me now!"

"Shh, the pups are sleeping."

"I don't care, tell me or I'll have to rough you up."

"Oh really?"

"Come on, don't torture me. Please, tell, please!" he begged shamelessly.

"Kittens. Lots of kittens."

"Ki... no, you didn't? Tell me you... oh you did!" He cracked up laughing so hard that all he could do was clasp his side and gasp for air."

"Yes, I certainly did."


	33. Dogs and Cats

"Maybe he won't notice."

"You're dreaming, mutt." Kouga slapped him on the shoulder sympathetically. "When he kills you can I have your sword?"

The pair had cleaned up the mess and captured the felines. The whole lot was now locked up in the dungeon with food, water, and blankets and as far as they were concerned, they would stay there until Sesshoumaru returned. Inuyasha had rearranged the room to minimize the missing artwork or so he hoped. Unfortunately neither he nor Kouga had much concept of interior design.

"Keh, in your dreams maybe. Well, it's the best I can do. Now I'm hot and sweaty and smell like cat. I need a bath."

"Yeah me too, I'll join you."

Inuyasha froze, "you will?"

"It's just a bath, get your mind out of the filth." Kouga gave him an insufferable smirk.

"Jerk."

"Yeah, so you say." Kouga waved dismissively and headed for the guest bath. He stopped a moment thinking and grinned naughtily before turning in the other direction.

"What are you doing?"

"You're lord of the castle today aren't you? Let's use the master bath and see what the big dog hides up there."

"It's your ass if he gets pissed."

"I'm so scared of a dog."

They bickered back and forth all the way to Sesshoumaru's wing of the castle. Kouga led the way to the bath house and boldly flung the door open. "Wow. No wonder he likes to take a bath every day."

Inuyasha peered in over his shoulder. The room was huge and well appointed, the pool was a natural hot spring modified for his personal use. Candles in tall branched holders stood everywhere. There were even vases full of roses and flowers.

"Looks like a girls place." Inuyasha pointed to the rack of neatly rolled towels. "Kagome's mom does hers like that."

Kouga looked back at him. It was the first time he had said her name without a hitch in his voice. It was the first time hearing it had not been like a knife right into his chest. "Come over here, Inuyasha."

The hanyou obeyed him for once without argument. Kouga stood facing him and reached out to remove his haori. Inuyasha looked startled as the fire rat cloak slid down to the floor but did not pull away. Kouga took that as permission and went to work on the shirt below. Once his chest was bare, his hand wandered up to lightly touch the beads of the rosary that Kagome had used to control Inuyasha. His hands slid around his neck under the silver mane. A sharp claw slid between the beads to the string holding them. He leaned up and kissed Inuyasha on the lips as it sliced through the string. He felt Inuyasha pull away as they struck the floor with a clatter, but he tightened his hold refusing to let him go. Only when he relaxed once more and was holding Kouga around the waist did he end the kiss and lean back.

"You don't need anyone controlling you anymore." He said softly, "you know yourself and your heart now. You aren't alone either. No more beads, no more shards, we're strong enough without them, especially together."

Inuyasha heard the truth in Kouga's words and held him close laying an open-mouthed kiss against his neck. "Let's skip the bath for a little while."

Kouga shivered but nodded. "Is that a bedroom back there?"

"Yeah, come on."

The bedroom was Sesshoumaru and Miroku's and the smell of both of them and the rich musk of sex was a heady perfume to the two canines serving to further arouse them as they undressed each other and stumbled to the bed. The velvet covers caressed their over sensitive skin as they writhed together kissing, licking, and stroking every inch of skin they could reach.

Inuyasha found himself facing Kouga's manhood. The thick curving shaft was heavily veined and dark with his arousal. The hanyou leaned in close burying his nose in Kouga's dark curls and inhaling deeply. His natural musk made him want to toss his head back and howl as he gave in to the demon within. He needed more contact. He drew his tongue up the shaft from the base wringing an encouraging cry from his companion.

Kouga grabbed Inuyasha's hips, claws digging in a bit more than he meant to as the touch sent lightning racing from his groin over the rest of his body. He dragged his partner up on top of him and squirmed until he was staring at a heart shaped ass. He reverently kneaded the round cheeks parting them with every squeeze revealing the tiny entrance to his body. He leaned up and licked the little ring of muscle and felt Inuyasha's hard shaft jump against his chest. He grinned and let his tongue explore every inch of that interesting crevasse, licking the taut balls then trailing back up to thrust into his asshole.

Inuyasha moaned at the new sensations and brought his mouth down on Kouga's shaft sliding up and down in sucking the salty flesh like a sweet treat. Kouga murmured soft encouragements as he groped around and found Inuyasha's hard length. He stroked it, the motion a little difficult since it was pointing the wrong way. He gave a soft yelp as a finger invaded his body but did not resist, trying to relax against it. He answered the probe with one of his own.

"Kouga, do you know how?"

"No. But I know a lot of the guy on hunting parties do it together. I think we can figure it out. Some of them buy flasks of oil from the humans. I think it might make it fit better. Yours feels so small."

"We don't have anything like that."

"Look around, I saw your brother that time we walked in on them in the tower room. He doesn't shove that thing up the monk's ass without some help."

"I really did not need that image in my head." Inuyasha lightly smacked Kouga's flank.

Kouga chuckled and pushed him off sitting up to look on the table beside the bed. He opened a bottle and sniffed then tested the liquid inside, thick and oily and faintly scented of cherries. He poured a little in his hand and stroked it over his shaft surprised at how much better it felt just touching it that way.

"Want me to leave you two alone?" Inuyasha teased gruffly.

Kouga snorted and passed him the bottle. "Brat." He slid around behind Inuyasha who was on his knees and looked very tempting.

"Hey, what are you, ahhhhh Kouga," he groaned as the thickened shaft pushed slowly into his body.

"Oh Inuyasha, you are tight. This feels, like Heaven."

Inuyasha grunted, it hurt pretty bad from his end, but he was used to pain. He pushed it aside and waited for whatever it was that made Miroku scream Sesshoumaru's name late at night. He relaxed as much as he could as Kouga began to move inside him. It was a strange feeling having something foreign moving in and out of his body making soft sucking sounds then as he grew more urgent, slapping sounds as his balls smacked his ass with each thrust. It was starting to feel good as he loosened up and he shifted around until the panting wolf draped over his back brushed a spot that stole his breath away. Before he realized it he was thrusting back guiding him to that sweet spot over and over. He was growling continuously and Kouga's chest rumbled his agreement against his back. Sharp teeth bit at his neck and shoulders drawing blood, but the pain mingled with the pleasure and was lost to it. Kouga's scent changed and he howled a long wolven cry of triumph and then his bowels were filled with hot liquid and his lover's thrusting grew erratic then stopped altogether.

Inuyasha allowed him no time to rest. He gently tugged him down off his back and rolled him over on his stomach. He paused to stroke the long tail of ebony hair and pull the leather band out so it spilled like black silk over the covers. Kouga chuckled softly all but purring as Inuyasha leaned up to flutter small kisses on his cheek and chin then down his shoulders and spine. He parted Kouga's cheeks applying more of the oil to his own dripping shaft and smearing a little on the small brown button before settling the head of his own need against it and pushing down.

He heard Kouga hiss in pain and tried to be gentle as he could but it felt like some impossibly hot hand was squeezing his cock and sending blinding jolts of pleasure to his brain. He seated himself fully then pulled out except for his head, pausing just a moment before thrusting back in and repeating it again and again. Kouga writhed and moaned beneath him driving him mad with pleasure.

He leaned down making his strokes shorter and faster and drew his fangs along his spine. He bit at the broad, tanned shoulders and lathed the golden skin with his tongue. Kouga turned his head to stare at him with wild blue eyes and a face contorted with pleasure. He siezed his lips hungrly at the same time catching and lifting his hips so he could slam deeper into his body.

Kouga was flushed and dishevelled. He had never imagined being taken this way but it was dricing his insane. He knew now why the boys pleasured one another when away from women, it was nothing at all like being with a female. It was wild and uncontrolled and he did not have to worry about hurting a lover, Inuyasha could take what he gave and he could handle whatever his hanyou dished out.

"Harder," he hissed against Inuyasha's mouth and was rewarded with a growl and a vicious pounding into his intestines. "Yes!"

Inuyasha clung to him tightly and nipped at long, pointed ears. He reached his limit unable to hold on one more moment. He cried out sharply as his seed spurted into the tight channel lubricating it even more as he continued to thrust until every drop was milked from his body. Finally he rolled off Kouga and curled tightly against him shivering violently. 

They fell asleep for a while and woke up to the rumble of thunder. Kouga rolled over grunting at the pain in his backside. "You got me sticky." He was facing Inuyasha nose to nose.

"You helped." Inuyasha leaned forward just enough to place a light kiss on his lips. "Bath and bed?"

"Yeah."

He sat up and stood slowly finding his balance. "Think we could stay here tonight, I don't want to walk all the way back across the castle. 

"Probably. Now carry me to the bath."

"Carry you? Lazy ass."

"Sore ass and it's all your fault, dog shit."

The old, familiar bickering began again easing any tension that might have entered their relationship. They bathed each other exploring their bodies curiously and bonding in the way canines had for centuries. Then they dried off and made their way back to Sesshoumaru's room falling into an exhausted sleep wrapped around each other.

Neither of them heard the clatter of tiny kitten claws on the marble floors.


	34. Homecoming

Miroku pushed the bedroom door open and froze. His open mouthed gape turning into a wicked grin for a moment as he saw the tangle of pale and tanned limbs sprawled on the black velvet blankets. His smile quickly turned to a look of near panic as he heard Sesshoumaru's voice a short way down the hall behind him. The older man was doing something his mate had only heard him do during his battles with Inuyasha in the distant past, cursing fluently and violently. The castle air was rapidly growing thicker as his youki rose and became increasingly dark and poisonous. He quickly slammed the door putting his back to it as Inuyasha and Kouga slept blissfully unaware in their bed. 

"Sesshou-kun!," his mind raced as sweat beaded on his forehead. He needed an excuse and he needed it fast or his friends were going to catch it. "The cats!" Scarlet tinted eyes fixed on him.

"What now?" The growl could have stopped a weaker man's heart. 

Miroku put both hands up and smiled brightly, "Uh, the cats are everywhere, right?" The flat look he received for stating something so obvious did not need translation. "So, uh, you find Rin and Ginta, have them get the crate. Then have the servants bring fresh fish and lure them all in. Meanwhile, I'll find Inuyasha and Kouga. They can take these little monsters out to the stables. They'll be safe there and Rin won't cry. You do know how badly she will cry if you really do beat them to death, don't you?"

"The cats or the morons?" he snarled nastily.

"Yes."

He winced as his lover's fist contacted with the marble wall. Surprisingly neither bone nor stone cracked. He sagged in relief as the youkai turned and went back down the corridor. As soon as he was out of sight he rushed into the bedroom and shook the pair awake. Another time he would have been amused to see both of them startle awake and blush to the roots as they realized they were not only naked but naked in his bed. Kouga was the first one to sniff the air and jerk to his feet as his instinct kicked in and warned of danger.

"The Hell is that?" he asked thickly as he jerked his clothing on. 

"That is the aura of one very, very unamused dog demon. The storm flooded us out so we came back early. The castle is full of kittens and everything is trashed. Thank goodness his library door was shut and Rin loves cute furry things or the walls would be red by now. I sent him after something but he won’t be long. Before he finds out what you two were up to in his bed while the cats were destroying his home, I would suggest you get the sheets and covers off and open the window or something, heck even I can smell sex in here, then look like you've been busily rounding up cats in the mean time."

Inuyasha finished dressing cursing softly under his breath. He straightened and jerked the bedclothes off into the floor. He jumped as the servants whisked them away almost instantly. Before he could turn around another set was remaking the bed. Kouga threw open the window and let the damp air in. A loud crash from somewhere within the castle made them all three freeze a moment then bolt as one for the door.

The sight that met their eyes as they reached the large entryway was one they would never forget. Sesshoumaru crouched low to the ground in his full sized demonic dog form. His lips were peeled back from enormous fangs and he was growling viciously. Five tiny kittens were backed into the corner trembling in terror and mewling piteously. Rin was trying desperately to pick already captured kittens from the sides of the crate and shove them back down inside before the others within the box made their escape. Her arms were lacerated with bloody scratches. Ginta was out cold amongst the shards of a vase obviously knocked from a shelf. He looked as if he had been dragged face down through a patch of blackberry briars. Sesshoumaru advanced on the remaining kittens, eyes glowing with malevolence. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Please don't eat them!" Rin pleaded, "Miroku-sama save the kitties!" 

He took one look at the expression on her face and threw himself in front of Sesshoumaru. He saw Inuyasha and Kouga leap forward to snatch the kittens, but he had no time to see if they made it to safety. He grabbed Sesshoumaru's muzzle and began to croon soothingly to his mate. He tried to ignore the animal snarls and the way saliva dripped from the fangs hissing as it hit the floor and throwing up small puffs of acrid smoke. The heavy form pushed him back across the floor as it continued to advance. He was about to give up and jump aside when the rumble subsided and a rather cold nose dropped to whuff at his chest. A second later there was a flash of light and his arms were filled with his normally regal and reserved lover. 

Sesshoumaru was hot to the touch and his aura was still wild and dangerous but his voice was steady beside Miroku's ear, "get them out." 

"Hai, my one, they will be removed to the stables now." He raised his voice, "Right Inuyasha?" To give his friend due credit, a full blooded youkai could not have jumped to attention faster. The words were no sooner out than the lid was clapped down on the crate and the pegs smacked back in place with Inuyasha's balled up fist. Kouga snatched up one side and a slightly dizzy looking Ginta grabbed the other. 

In a few moments all was quiet in the great hall. Miroku remained still his hands resting on Sesshoumaru's cheeks with the taller man leaning into him. Rin moved quietly to his side and hugged both of them, "thank you for not hurting them, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He grunted.

"Go help the others settle them in Rin-chan. We'll let the servants clean the mess up, okay?" Miroku said softly.

She nodded and hurried off after the others leaving them alone. Miroku searched his mind for something to say to diffuse the situation. He was concentrating so hard on that he actually jumped when Sesshoumaru laughed. He pulled back and looked at him wide eyed as the demonic aura disappeared without a trace. 

"Am I scary little human?" 

"You, you were, that was…"

Sesshoumaru gave him a bland look but his eyes glowed with amusement. "As if this Sesshoumaru would stoop to eating kittens. It would take longer to hack up the hairballs than it would be worth.

Miroku grinned, "you tricked us! You sly dog! Why did you do that."

"The kittens are gone, the morons will sneak around on tiptoes a few days, and I am finally rid of that ugly urn without offending my grandmother."

Miroku stared at him a while then burst out laughing. "Did I ever tell you that your brilliant mind is as sexy as your perfect ass?"

Sesshoumaru sniffed, "shameless idiot," but his eyes held a faint glow of pleasure at the odd compliment.

Miroku pressed close to his lover unfastening his armour and letting it drop to the floor. "Suddenly I feel the need to touch that big strong body."

"Oh do you?" 

"Oh yes."

"That can probably be arranged."

"Excellent!"

"So, did your scheme work?"

"Scheme?"

"Inuyasha and Kouga… time alone… shared adversity…"

"Oh that!"

"Well?"

"Well, yes it worked. When I found them they had apparently had a very good time."

"In our room?"

"Um, uh, how did you know?"

"You are easy to read."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"I should have let you walk in on them."

"Are you trying to scar me for life?"

"Oh I don't know… Inuyasha is built a lot like you under that ugly coat of his."

"So you got an eyeful?"

"Yup, hard to resist a fine looking blonde."

"I prefer brunettes with good strong legs."

Miroku grinned, "good answer."

"Kouga has those eyes too."

Miroku laughed and smacked Sesshoumaru's bottom playfully. "Bad dog." 

Sesshoumaru chuckled softly and held out his hand, palm up. Miroku's hand slid into his easily and they turned of one accord, walking back toward their room where the rain was sheeting in the open window onto Sesshoumaru's favorite hand woven rug.


End file.
